An Accident, or Fate?
by MsLightningAlchemist
Summary: When Krystal, a 19 year-old woman, wakes up in Resembool, she has no idea how she got there. She knows everything, including when events happen, what she wanted to do to stop them. But now she has the chance to change the Story of FullMetal Alchemist as we know it, into something better or for worse.T for violence and language.
1. Accident

It had been a long day at work. Call after call, customer after customer, and cart after cart of items to go back to the floor. My feet were aching, I was nearing my limit of patience. I walked outside, waving goodbye to my co-workers. My keys were still attached to my belt loop on my right side.

I glanced down at my khaki pants, groaning. They would have to be washed before I worked again. Taking care of boxes and sorting them out by department had dirtied them up. There was still that stain from a month ago, from dinner. I had washed it many times, and it still refused to come out.

I walked out to the back of the parking lot, where my car was parked. Being dark green, even parked by a light post, it was still dark and sleek looking. I loved my car, especially since my dad and I had worked on it to restore it to working condition. Since it was an old car, being a 1995 Bonneville that I dubbed Bonnie, nobody would ever want to take her. I shifted my bag to my hand and unlocked my car door. I sat down, clipping my seatbelt over my bag. I checked my pocket for my phone, noticing that, as usual, I had no new messages or missed calls. My hand slipped the key into the ignition and started it like I had done many times before.

I pulled out of the lot, turning to the highway. I passed it every day going home, and I had never seen an accident there when I passed it late at night.

I waited for the light to turn green, putting Bonnie into neutral, pulling out my iPod to listen to some music. My bag was touching my leg, since I had pulled my iPod from it and shifted it around.

The turn light turned green, and I put my hand back on the shifting stick. Once it turned amber, I tensed. The second it turned red. I put my car back into drive. This light was the longest on my drive home, so I almost always did that.

My light turned green, and I started to go. But someone had run through their turn light, moving swiftly. I had no time to slam on the brakes, and last thing I remember was the crunch of glass and metal and my vision going white.


	2. The Rockbells

I regained consciousness in an open field, unsure how I had gotten here. It looked familiar, but none of this made sense. How did I get out here?

The barking of a dog made me freeze. I hated dogs.

I turned and saw a black and white dog was racing toward me. It had an auto-mail front leg. It took me a few seconds to realize I was in Resembool. I had gone from my home in America to Resembool, in the FMA world.

I noticed I was in my work Uniform. My navy blue shirt and khaki pants would stand out here. I was aware of my bag and my cell phone, both putting pressure on my legs. My iPod was on the ground, the glass broken. I knelt down in the field, shoving my devices in the navy blue corduroy bag, the handbell embroidery flashing in the sunlight.

Den came up to me, growling. I slowly extended a hand, letting him sniff it. He started to lick me, excited to see someone new. I yelped and curled up, hiding my face in my arms. He stopped when someone called his name. I slowly sat up as Den ran to his caller.

"Are you all right?" she called. She approached me, and I saw the blonde hair and short figure of someone familiar.

I stood, noticing my name tag and jamming it into my bag. "I'm fine. Just don't make your dog attack me!" I called back. I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. I walked over to her, hoping I didn't look too out of place.

"Why are you out here?" she asked.

"I was trying to clear my mind," I lied. "But I was interrupted by your dog."

"Den doesn't bite." She smiled at me. "Most of the time he's friendly."

I slowly nodded, standing up. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Winry. Winry Rockbell!" She grinned up at me. "Who are you?" she asked.

I thought for a second before replying, "Clara. Clara Patterson." I saw this as a chance to change my name to something I preferred, better than my given name in America. "How old are you, Winry?" I wanted to know, before I made assumptions of where I was in the storyline.

"Nine, why do you ask?" She put her hands on her hips, giving me a glare.

I nodded. "Because you looked at least eleven to me. I just wanted to get some things straight." I looked around. "I should probably be going now ..." I sighed.

"Where are you going?" Winry asked.

That froze me in my tracks. "Ah ..." I had no idea, since I didn't have any form of Amestrian currency, I doubted Resembool had a hotel, and I was wearing strange clothes for the FMA world.

"Your clothes are strange. Are you from the military?"

"No. I'm not military." I sighed, remembering that this was the year her parents died ... if they haven't already.

"I hate the military. If it weren't for them, I'd- Nevermind."

I sighed, giving her a sympathetic look. "I lost my mom six years ago."

"Was she killed in the war?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, she died from diabetes." I hoped that was a term here in Amestris.

Winry nodded slowly. "What happened? I don't know a lot about it."

"She had quite a few complications, and since there's not a way to help anyone with it, she died."

Winry gave me a sympathetic look. "My parents were killed in the war."

"Yes, the war ... Why can't our country be nice and peaceful, without internal conflict?" I ground my teeth, agitated by the knowledge of the coming bloodshed. "It's just not right, with the innocent people and citizens of Ame- ... -stris..." I kicked myself mentally for my near slip-up!

"You're weird. Did you hit your head when Den startled you? Come on, Granny and I can make sure you're fine!" Winry grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of her home.

* * *

"I don't have any clothes that would fit you, so you'll have to do with those. But you're as healthy as anyone cam be, that I can tell."

I nodded my thanks, bowing slightly. "Thank you." At least she didn't try to stick a needle in my arm. Or my hand.

Granny Pinako took a long drag on her pipe, letting it out like I had seen her do a lot. I resisted the urge to cough and wave the smell away. "Where do you live? I've never seen you around these parts."

"I came from the West to study some Mechanics ... Or write a novel ... I haven't decided what I want to do yet ..." I sighed, suddenly homesick. At least I had my notebook with me, but ...

I was worried about my Bonnie. What if my dad sells it? Or my step-sister drives it and wrecks it? I started to panic. After all that work ... after all we've thrown at it ... My car, totaled at the junkyard, parts pulled from it one by one, the Engine and Transmission being given to someone else, the hard work I've gone to taking the sap off the paint ...

"If you want to be a mechanic, you've come to the right place." Pinako said with a smirk. "Winry and I both work on Automail, the best in Resembool."

I sighed, shaking my head. "No, like a car mechanic. Changing oil, fixing engines ... Oh, I miss working on them with my dad ..." He had recently gotten the basement of the house to the spot he couldn't do much more.

"What's the difference? It's all mechanics!" Winry beamed.

"The difference is- hm?" I had noticed the pictures. Ed and Al, beaming with Trisha, their mother. "Who are they?" I asked, pointing to the picture.

"Oh, those are the Elrics, good friends of ours. The boys, Edward and Alphonse, are studying Alchemy with their teacher." Pinako came up to me.

"That's good. Alchemists are for the people, right? But who's the woman?" I feigned curiosity.

"That would be their mother, who died four years ago." The atmosphere in the room went gloomy.

I tried to change the subject. "How long have Edward and Alphonse been gone?" I asked.

"Six months, five days, one hour, and seventeen minutes." Winry spouted the information rapidly.

I smiled evilly. "Sounds like you have a crush on someone!" I teased.

She puffed her face out, angry. "I do not!" she retorted.

I laughed, going to my bag and putting it on my shoulder. "I'm going to the station, to East City. Maybe I can get a hotel room or find somewhere to spend the night."

"We have an extra room!" Winry smiled. "Why don't you stay a little while with us?"

I glanced at Pinako, who nodded. I couldn't keep the grateful smile from my face. "Thanks."


	3. Meetings and Shopping

The sound of a barking dog woke me up, and I bolted up. I didn't remember this place!

The events of the other day finally caught up to me. I had been taken from my life in America to this one in Amestris. I was living in the world of FullMetal Alchemist. I had nearly gone into a mental breakdown worrying about my car, which made me wonder if I'm mentally sane. Of course, they hadn't seen me go completely berserk. I had a tendency to ... I'd rather not go into detail. But I have a hard time remembering them. Something about horrible jokes and laughing like a maniac. A lot.

I rolled out of bed with a yawn, instinctively checking my phone. I had no signal, of course, but I wanted to see how the battery was. I quickly shut it off, hoping to preserve something of my life in America. My iPod quickly followed suit. I stashed my bag under the bed, hoping nobody would bother to look there.

The voices grew louder as the door opened, and I ran my fingers through my bust-length hair. I would probably get it cut soon. Once I deemed myself semi-presentable, I came into the front room with a huge yawn. "Mornin' ..."

"It's two o'clock, actually."

A look at the clock made me realize Pinako was right. "My bad." I tried to hide my yawn, but I could hear the snickering to my left. I shot them a glare. "And what are you two pipsqueaks laughing at?" I asked iciliy. I wanted to know if Ed was sensitive about his height at a young age, or if it happened later.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SMALL, YOU GIANT?!" Edward charged toward me, and I stopped him with my outstretched hand.

"Temper matches your height, I see. At least mine grew with my height." I smirked.

That made him even angrier. His fists struck my arm, and I let him go after the first strike. A red mark was already forming on my forearm. "Good going, kid. I'll feel that in the morning."

"I'll give you something to feel!" Edward screamed. He kicked me in the side, and I grunted as I took a step back. I only had skin and bones from my hips up, so any I could feel any contact up there. Any pokes, kicks, punches, or most contact there hurt more than I would care to admit. Then there were the cramps from Mother Nature's monthly gift.

I froze as the realization dawned on me, only to be knocked back into reality by a punch to my jaw. I started to silently curse myself, since I didn't pay attention to the ingredients of the medication I was on for the pain.

"Brother!" Alphonse scolded.

"She's the one who called me a pipsqueak!" Edward snapped.

"And you don't even know her! What if she's some soldier from the military?!" Alphonse fretted.

I stood up, brushing my khaki pants. "Just a traveller ... sort of." I wanted to get out of these clothes, at the very least. I vaguely wondered if I could use alchemy.

"What do you mean, sort of? Who are you, anyway?" Edward growled.

"Now, Ed. Don't be so rude to our guest. This is Clara Graves." Pinako interrupted. "She's aspiring to become a mechanic, for cars and whatnot."

"Or an Author of fiction books. After all, I used to read a lot of them when I didn't have a job ..." I trailed off, remembering the work-filled life I had up to this point. "Or working outside and taking care of the chickens and dogs ... I wonder how my cat's doing ... Probably died by now!" I chuckled.

"How many pets did you have, anyway?" Alphonse asked.

"Six chickens, two dogs, and an old fart of a cat. He's seventeen or eighteen years old, I think." I chuckled, remembering my cat.

That earned me four gaping stares. "What? He's been an indoor cat, not to mention the seefood diet he's been on. Sees food, has to eat it." I shrugged with a chuckle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going out to find something less ... outlandish."

"Wait! Didn't you say you were broke?" Winry asked.

That froze me again. "Ah ..." I groaned. I kept forgetting they didn't have the currency that the United States uses, or the technology to use a Debit card. "In a way, I am."

"Explain, weird girl." Ed was already at the table, stuffing his face.

"First off, I'm not weird. This is ... was my work uniform. Second, my country uses this technology that lets you use a plastic card to transfer money from your bank account to another's bank account. Does that make sense?"

"A plastic card, huh?" Alphonse swallowed his mouthful as Edward burst out laughing.

"Plastic! Plastic cards! You're the weirdest girl I know!" Edward laughed.

I sighed, sitting down on the floor. "You're the most obnoxious brat I know," I countered. My ribs were still hurting from his kick, too.

"Well, I needed to go to town to get some more food, anyway. Care to come, Clara?" Pinako asked.

I frowned. "Dressed like this? I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"We still have some of Mom's clothes. Maybe they'd fit you." Alphonse gave me a smile.

"What? But I can't- I look- They-" My mind went five directions at once, giving me a headache.

"Are you sure it's okay if I wear this?"

Winry gave me a grin. "Yeah, it's fine!" she continued to walk down the long dirt road.

Once we got to the market, my eyes widened. I was used to stores full of items and produce in orderly sections. This was the exact opposite. One vendor was selling bracelets, the one next to her was selling fruits. Farther up the street, I could see something glinting in the sunlight.

"I guess it can be a bit much, but it's something, at least." Pinako walked down the street. "The vendor between the exotic fruit and the old glass-maker is a good person who can help you get some clothes."

"Ah ... thanks." I mumbled. I knew what I liked, and since I work in apparel, this wasn't going to be too hard. It was just a matter of looking, trying, and deciding.

Once I had gotten some outfits I was comfortable with, that glinting caught my eye again. I moved over to it, nearly scoffing at the merchandise they had set out. It was just metal with an alchemy array.

"That gives good luck, but this one will-"

"That's nice." I hurriedly walked the other way. I didn't believe in that crap. Nothing ever really came true for me ... except what my favorite soda says about me. After all, I did like trying new things.

"Hey, Clara!" Winry called. I joined her and Pinako at the vegetable stand. "Looks like you found something to wear." Winry smiled at me.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I did." I shrugged, looking around again. "I'm not used to this ... chaos. Where I shop and work, it's a lot more organized and less ... messy."

Pinako chuckled. "That's the backwater country for you."


	4. And so it Begins

The rain was driving me crazy. I knew it was going to happen, so I slipped outside and followed the path to the brother's house. I was almost there when the rain picked up, soaking me to the bone. It felt like I wasn't going to be dry again.

I slipped inside the house, trying to dry myself off so I didnt ruin the floors. "Edward? Alphonse?" I called. I started up the stairs, trying to recall the little of the house I knew of.

"Up here!" Alphonse, earning a shushing from Edward.

I entered the study, my eyes falling on the scene I'd seen so many times.

The human transmutation circle, the large pile of chemicals that made up the human body, and the boys, standing over the container, fingers oozing blood.

I sighed. "Well, I'm going to stay out of this and pretend I didn't see it. Or I could help you boys out." I attempted a smile.

Their eyes lit up. "Really?!" Alphonse gasped. Edward, although guarded, had the same expression.

"It might give me something I can use." I didn't tell the my real motives. I wanted to see if I could go back.

Alphonse gave me a goofy grin. "Thanks, Clara! It's only been a year since Ed and I came back, but you're really nice!"

I took a shaky breath. "All right. Let's do this."

* * *

I stared at the large black double doors, heaving a sigh. "Well, can I go home or not?" I asked.

"You can, if you can pay the toll."

I turned to Truth. "I'll stay here for a while longer, since I have things I want to do, to stop and take care of. Don't worry, I'll try not to mess up everything too badly. I just want to ..." To what? Stop Hughes from dying? That was about four years from now!

"I know. That's why I'll show you this."

The Gate opened, and my eyes widened. "NO!" I screamed, running from the hands that clutched at me. They wrapped around my arms and legs, pulling me in.

I was standing next to a bed, in a familiar room.

My room.

The bed was occupied by someone I knew all too well. Myself. I was in a coma.

My room had changed from mostly empty surfaces to every one crammed with cards and other things.

What the hell had happened?

I looked out the window to the driveway, and started trembling. Where was my car? My Bonnie? I ran downstairs, looking for my keys.

They were hanging on the key rack, but a letter on the counter caught my attention.

Insurance information. Mine and another person's. A claim from the Auto Insurance Company. A bill for medical costs, and a letter from the person.

"Mr. and Mrs. Buckley,

I still feel guilt over what I did over a year ago, and hearing that your daughter has not come out of her coma makes me feel even worse.

I've attatched enough money to buy her a new car and pay for the medical bills, since this is all my fault."

It was signed with the same name I've seen many times.

Bob Jones Jr.

I came to in that same room.

My car. She was gone. Totaled. Destroyed. Probably in a junkyard now, being pulled apart.

None of this was real, was it?

_Oh, it is. Nice way to end up here, in Amestris, human. My name is Truth._

My mind must be playing tricks on me. There was no way I was ...

_I'm real, human. And you'll be thanking me for this later. Trust me._

I'm mental. I'm hearing voices in my head.

"AL!"

I quickly stood up, coughing at the dust. "He's gone ..." Edward whimpered.

I ducked out of the room, running downstairs. The rain was still pouring. And I could feel the traces of alchemy from the transmutation. Oh, great. Now I'm a human alchemy detector.

I ran through the rain, sticking to the grass paths. The Rockbells. The Military would be there in the next week. I knew it.

* * *

I was just putting on capris when I hear the knock on the door. I pulled my tank on, not bothering to do anything with my hair.

Yelling floated up the stairs as I came down.

"THAT THING WASN'T HUMAN! ALCHEMY CREATED THAT MONSTROSITY. ALCHEMY TOOK AWAY THOSE KIDS' BODIES! AND YOU! YOU WANT THEM TO DO MORE OF THAT? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES?!"

I paused mid-step, which resulted in my crashing down half a flight of stairs. "Damn ... That hurt." I groaned, standing up.

Three pairs of eyes were trained on me.

Pinako, who was huffing after her little rant. Alphonse, the suit of armor with little emotion. And Colonel hotness himself. But he wasn't a Colonel yet, just a Lieutenant Colonel, not promoted to the higher rank just yet.

"Sorry ... That outburst startled me. Did I miss anything important?" I asked, looking around.

"No." Pinako shot me a glare.

"Fine, fine. I'll be outside if you need me." I clapped and dried my hair as I walked out.

"I want to talk to you when I'm done here." That voice was hotness, of course.

I waved my acknowledgement and joined Riza and Winry. "Hey, Winry. Officer ... or ... what's your rank?"

"Second Lieutenant, Miss ...?" Riza smiled at me.

"Clara. I guess." I shrugged, sitting down on the floor. "I want to go out or- ACK!" I bolted up, avoiding Den's wet nose.

Winry chuckled. "Still don't like dogs, Clara?" she asked.

"No, I don't like their hot breath or wet nose. Or the sniffing." I backed away, Den watching me.

At this, the door opened, and I turned. Oh, no ... not him.

He closed the door behind him, turning to me. "Hands. Now." He ordered, giving me a hard look.

"Not going to find anything there, but go ahead." I offered them to him, palms up.

"Then how did you perform alchemy to dry your hair?" he asked coldly.

"It's like I am the runes, and by clapping, I complete the circle. It's not like I can really describe it." I shrugged, turning to leave.

Someone put a hand on my shoulder. Lt. Col. Hotness. "Just a minute. You know what a State Alchemist is and can do, right?" he asked.

"Besides being a dog of war, unlimited access to alchemy books, things of the sort. Rank of a Major, etc. Yeah, I do." I turned around again, crossing my arms. "Why, you offering to ask the high-ups to let me take the next exam?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Yes, I am." His dark eyes softened a little. "I know someone who'd be more than happy to have someone like you on his team."

"When's the next exam, anyway?" I asked.

"Two days from now. In Central."

I swallowed nervously. "Wait, as in ... DAMMIT, YOU BASTARD!" I turned and charged up the stairs, grabbing my bag and packing it with some of my little belongings. Clothes, other things, my phone and iPod ... I charged down the stairs, nearly falling over again. "ByePinakoseeyoulaterbecomingStateAlchemist!" I called as I ran out the door.

It took me a little while to catch up to the officers at the station. I was gasping for breath. "You ... bastard ..." I panted. "I'll ... get ... you ... for ... this!"

Roy just chuckled at my threat.

* * *

A/N: No reviews. Really? How can I know if I'm doing good or bad if you don't review? And I know you're reading this. I even know someone's following it. If I still don't have a review by the time I put out the chapter after this one, then I'm putting it on hold until I get one.

Oh, and double update! I thought I updated earlier, but I guess it didn't work.


	5. The Exams

"So I already know a lot about the exam ... so you don't need to worry there."

That earned me some surprised looks from Lt. Col. Mustang and Second Lt. Hawkeye.

"What? It's not like I'm from that backwater town. I grew up in the ... well, I guess most people would call it country, but it's more of a city than a country town." I shrugged with a large yawn. "The trains I'm used do go faster than this. I know they go at least 45 miles an hour. I've heard that they can go up to eighty."

"Miles, huh? What are those?"

I sighed. "They're a unit of measurement. You know kilometers, right? Well, they're a bit longer. I think they're about a kilometer and a half or so. A 5k run is about two and a half miles." I shrugged. "I'm not the best person to ask, but that's at least some of what I understand about it."

"How much do you know about the exam, anyway?" Mustang asked.

I thought for a moment. "Well, there's three parts: The written exam, the physical exam, and the practical exam. If I manage to get through all three, I could become the first female State Alchemist in history, right?"

"Is that what you're after?" Hawkeye asked.

I shook my head. "No. I'm after world domination." I grinned, chuckling. That faded quickly as I went on, "not really. I'm more of a strategist, to be honest. I'm hoping to become a State Alchemist to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Of course, I'm not the best person to do that, but I like to think of myself as a woman of justice."

"And how old are you, anyway?" Mustang smirked.

"Oh! Oh ... I missed my birthday. But I'm 20." I smirked. "Single, and not really looking to ever become a mother, come to think of it. I'm more of a free spirit." The truth was, I was lying to them. I had some desire to be a mom, but ... I've never met _the_ guy for me.

"A free spirit, huh? Good thing I found you, before you ran off into the sunset all alone." Mustang chuckled.

"Are you hitting on me, sir?" I raised an eyebrow. The truth was, I was falling for it."

"Yes, he is." Hawkeye sighed. "It's bad enough he does it outside the military, but flirting with someone who's about to take the State Alchemy Exam ..."

I grinned. "Oh, I have a feeling I'll pass. Then I could get after him for fraternizing within the military!" I giggled. "Oh, sweet victory, I can taste it now!"

"Wait, who said you'll pass?" Mustang asked me.

I frowned. I had no idea where that came from. I hoped it wasn't from my messed up 'good feeling' center, because that never turned out to be right. "Well, maybe I won't. There's always a possibility of that happening. But I think that if I keep my spirits up, I should be able to ... right?"

"Well, at least you have a good attitude." Mustang chuckled.

* * *

I was really starting to doubt myself. I was in the exam room, anxiously waiting for the test to be handed out and started. I hadn't been this nervous since my seventh grade choir performance. Or my first handbell performance. I had chewed my fingernails to stubs, a horrible habit of mine. My anxiety 'disorder' didn't help that one bit.

I tried to focus on something else. The practical exam. What if I couldn't do any useful alchemy? What if I just made flowers appear from the ground? Man, my codename would be something stupid, like the Floral Alchemist.

Okay, now I was getting ridiculous. There was no way that'd happen. I was a human alchemy detector. I should be fine.

I noticed I was tapping out a rhythm that I had played on my handbells long ago. One two t one two t one two ... Dorian Dance. The rhythms that I had to use both hands, ringing bells for two measures of the same beat ...

I almost didn't notice the paper in front of me. But I picked up the pen beside my tapping hand. I would do my best.

* * *

"Well, I surprised you passed the first test."

I yawned. "That's great ... right?"

"But I also heard you fell asleep and started to snore." Mustang gave me a curious look.

"Because I haven't gotten much sleep in the past couple weeks." I covered my next yawn with a hand. "Nightmares and the like."

"Of what?" Hawkeye asked.

"Maybe we could help you." Mustang added.

I chuckled darkly. "I doubt you can stop them. And if I told you my story, you'd either have me locked up or wouldn't believe me." I sighed, shaking my head. "And I refuse to reveal my secrets right now."

_Good idea. You could ruin a lot just by revealing your past right now._

"Understandable." Mustang sat back in his chair. "We all have skeletons in our closets, so to speak."

I chuckled. "Some moreso than others." I stood up. "When's the next exam?"

"Tomorrow at seven hundred hours."

I nodded. "Got it."

* * *

I walked into the exam room, my heart pounding with nerves. At least they weren't doing a physical exam, just a ... well, not strip me to my undergarments, at least.

"Have a seat, Miss." Fuhrer Bradley gestured to a three-legged chair.

_Truth, you'd better help me!_ I thought desperately.

_You're on your own, Alchemist. Good luck._

At least she ... he ... it? Truth doesn't let me cheat.

I sat on the chair, surprised it could stay balanced with me on it.

"Tell us why you want to become a State Alchemist." Fuhrer Bradley gave me a curious look.

I took a deep breath. "I want to become a State Alchemist because I want to bring the guilty to justice and spare the innocent. I want to make this country a better place, where everyone can live their everyday lives in peace and happiness." I paused before continuing, "and to do so, I'm willing to sacrifice everything."

"Very well then. You're dismissed."

Once outside the room, I finally lost my nerve. I was shaking like a leaf in the wind. To be honest, it wasn't the test or nerves. It was my fear of the Fuhrer. I had only seen him in combat in the manga and anime. But in real life, he had this ... aura around him. I couldn't explain it more than pure anger.

"You alright, Miss Graves?"

I looked at the person, my eye twitching like mad. "I'll be fine. Just need a moment, that's all." I attempted a smile, which probably looked like an insane grin.

"I think I know the person who could help you with that ..." Mustang trailed off, an evil glint in his eye.

I swallowed nervously and followed him to the second floor, West wing, into the second hallway on the left, and to the third door on the right. He knocked on the door and opened it. "Hughes, I have a favor to ask."

"Roy! Long time since I saw you last!" Hughes' cheerful voice made me freeze. I had forgotten about Hughes!

"I have a favor to ask." Mustang pulled me in behind him. I ripped my arm free from his grip and gave him a death glare. But I could feel the traces of his alchemy. "Care to look after this little pain in the neck?"

"I AM NOT!" I retorted. "You're the womanizing bastard who can't stop making sexual advances with everything female you meet!"

Hughes laughed. "Little pain in the neck?" he chuckled. "She's actually kinda cute ... how old is she, anyway? Fourteen?"

I ground my teeth. "I'm twenty." I snarled.

"You're kidding! Twenty? Where's your birth certificate?" Hughes laughed.

"Ah ... Well ..." I chuckled nervously. "I'll be outside if you need me. As in, running for my life!" I tried to turn and run away, but I was caught by the back of my shirt.

"No, you're not." Mustang said coldly.

I grinned. "Fine then. Don't blame me if you suddenly get dizzy!" I clapped, the circle Mustang uses for his flame alchemy forming in my head. _Man is this going to be good!_ I thought. I snapped, thinning the air around the man who held me captive.

Sure enough, his grip loosened and I ran away, laughing.

"SON OF A- GET BACK HERE!"

I ran around the corner and to the open window I noticed earlier. I jumped out and yelped. Second story, I had forgotten that crucial fact.

I fell like a sack of bricks. Or potatoes. But I rolled, hoping to get the momentum of falling out so I could run some more. What I didn't calculate was the timing. I lost a few seconds getting to my feet and running again.

* * *

The second the door opened, I grinned. "Oh, hello there. Hughes, right?"

Hughes met my eye and broke into laughter. "You gave Roy the worst time he's had in a while! He's furious with you!"

I grinned. "I tried to give him hell. But I got a couple bruises, jumping from the window like that ..."

"He scorched the cement behind you as you ran." Hughes chuckled, sitting down across me. "I never thought you'd come here, though."

I shrugged. "I just got lucky, I guess. I was considering an alley."

"Now, about that birth certificate ..."

I gave Hughes a puppy pout. "You don't really need it, do you?"

"Nah, I believe you're twenty. Hell, Roy doesn't look his age, either!" Hughes laughed.

I chuckled, silently breathing a sigh of relief. "I'd better get going. I don't want to put a burden on you or anything."

"Nonsense! Graceia and I would love to have you stay the night!" Hughes grinned.

"Well, I have a question. Do you know when the practical exam is?"

Hughes chuckled. "Next week."

I had one week to prepare for my practical exam. One week to study other Alchemists' preferred alchemy. One week to lose my mind.


	6. A Wrong Turn

I walked slightly behind Hughes as we walked to Central Command. If I could just meet some more State Alchemists, then I wouldn't have to worry about my exam. If I could copy their alchemy, then I could ... pass as a fraud?

I shook my head. "No! I'm not going to do that!" I grumbled.

"Going to do what? Confess your feelings for Roy?" Hughes asked, a glint in his eye.

"Only in his nightmares." I retorted. I had a major crush on him. But I refused to show it. "I was thinking about the Practical, actually. You saw what I did yesterday, right?"

"How could I forget? Roy was furious that you did that to him." Hughes laughed, quickly turning into a chuckle. "What were you thinking of doing?"

"Mimicry. It's hard to describe, but I can feel when someone uses Alchemy. And I can see the circle they used to do it. I understood some of the alchemy Mustang uses, enough to manipulate the oxygen in the air." I frowned, still unsure of what to do. "I was actually going to see if I could get some information on the State Alchemists that are on active duty, but I doubt I could get in there."

"Yeah, a kid like you-" I punched Hughes in the arm. "Sorry, Alchemist like you would just be passed off as a mimic. Why don't you just use your own alchemy?"

I mumbled something as we walked up the stairs to his office.

"Did you say something?" Hughes asked.

I repeated it, a little louder this time.

"Didn't quite catch that." He opened the door to his office.

"I said that I don't know any more alchemy than the few circles I've seen and felt!" I snapped, suddenly irritated. Was Hughes always this annoying?! "Okay?!"

"You're taking the State Alchemy Exam and you know hardly anything about Alchemy?!"

"Of course I am! Just you watch, I'll be the most powerful State Alchemist in History!" I whipped around, ready to throw a punch if he argued.

There, in all his Flaming glory, was Mustang. He was staring at me, a look of disbelief in his eyes. "And I thought you were a skilled alchemist." He sighed, clearly disappointed.

I lost my temper then. My voice became icy cold. "I will be. Just give me the week I have for the practical, and I'll show you up. Oh, I'll show you. And everyone in the room. I'm not a force to be underestimated. I will murder you, too. Oh, I'll make you suffer and suffer and suffer until you DIE!" I cackled maniacally. "I'll destroy the root, you'll see! I'll make this country a better place! I'll-"

_SMACK_

My right cheek stung. Mustang was standing in front of me, hand frozen in the follow-through. "Thanksh." I sighed.

"Did you even mean a word of that?" Hughes asked.

"Aside from making the country a better place? Some of it." I rubbed my throbbing cheek. "I am planning on looking up Alchemy books and learning Alchemy within a week."

Mustang's hand fell back to his side, and he smirked. "Then you're going to need a teacher."

I shot him a glare. "Not you. Anyone but-"

* * *

"You!"

I yelped as I dodged one of his flame attacks. "WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ALCHEMY?!"

"In order to train the mind, one must first train the body." Mustang told me this calmly.

I spun around. "You're just getting back for yesterday!" I grinned. "Not going to happen!" I bolted to my left, back to the scorch marks from five minutes ago.

Mustang continued to 'train' me, until ...

"AAAGH!" I crumpled to the cement. My ankle, as annoying as it is, had flared up in pain, and I could have sworn I heard a pop from my foot. I looked up in time to see a fireball heading towards me. I braced myself for the impact ...

Heat crashed against me, but no icy hot pain. I opened my eyes to see that I had somehow thrown up a wall. I sighed in relief and transmuted it, and the grounds, back to normal. "Can we please call it quits?" I asked, attempting to stand up. However, I fell back with a whimper of pain. I hadn't had this pain since I sprained the ligament ... three years ago, I think._  
_

"Get up." Mustang ordered.

I bit my lip, fighting back the tears. I hated admitting I needed help. GOD DAMNIT, I refused to be brought down by such a weak and insignificant injury! I pushed myself up, my breath coming in quick gasps. I managed to get up on my feet, shifting almost all of my weight to my left. "Now what?" I asked through gritted teeth. "I'm not going far, and I doubt you want to torch me to a crisp, since finding me could lead to a promotion for you."

He advanced toward me, his eyes narrowed. I met his gaze with a glare of defiance, trying to hide my pain.

His gaze softened. "Come on. I could hear your scream. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I replied, trying to swallow the pain. "Absolutely nothing."

"Then why are you standing with your right foot off the ground?"

Damn. He caught my bluff. "Because I felt like it, dumbass." I retorted.

"And the scream?"

"To ... Fine. You caught my lies. Kick me out. Do whatever you do to people who turn out to be as useless as a wet match." I grumbled. To my surprise, he just sighed and shook his head. "I noticed your run had a slight limp to it today. Did you hurt your ankle or something?"

I gaped at him like a fish. He was observant. "I call it weak ankle. Never been happy with me as long as I can remember."

He frowned, giving me a sympathetic look. "I'll give you a choice. Come willingly, and you'll have less pain, or I'll drag you to the infirmary."

I scowled. "Depends. What's the right answer?"

"Either one, I won't judge."

My eyes narrowed. "Liar." But I sighed. "I'll come willingly."

* * *

After an embarrassing trip for me, I was getting my ankle looked at.

"Well, it's not broken. But I think you shouldn't walk on it for at least a couple days. Make sure you bandage it tightly, and keep it elevated." The doctor stood up. "And if you're good enough at alchemy, try to make some ice."

"Rice." I mumbled. "I knew it. So, it's just a sprain, right?"

"A second to third degree, but you'll be fine." The doctor chuckled. "I have no doubt you tore a ligament."

I sighed in relief. "Then I should be fine if the ligament is repaired, right?"

"Yes. But I don't think you should attempt medicinal alchemy, miss. It's complicated enough as is, and to someone with as little knowledge as you do, I think you should just stick to my orders."

"Rice." I sighed. "Got it."

"No, Rest, Compression, Elevation."

"And I'm telling you, it's an acronym. Rice. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation. It's not just a Xingese dish."

The doctor stormed out, and I grinned. "Great. Pissed off Mustang and a doctor. Who's going to come after me with bloodlust?" I asked myself as I looked at my swollen ankle. "Well, I know more about medicine than they do, so if I just-"

"You're going to try to use alchemy to heal your ankle, aren't you?"

I shot Mustang a glare. "And if I am?" I asked.

"Then I'll repeat what we just did until you learn your lesson."

My patience snapped. "Fine. You know what? I don't give a damn. I have a feeling that you don't care about me. You only care about rising to the top." I glared at him. "And I could have been a very useful ally, Mustang. Anyone could have seen that. But you insisted that I learn things the hard way. I've had enough with learning things that way. I've been through enough shit in my life to know that I can have a better life not listening to someone as annoying and shallow as you."

He looked stunned, and started to say something.

I cut him off. "I've put up with a nagging stepmom for five years. I'm done taking crap from people who think they know what I need to do." I clapped and slapped my hands on my ankle, healing the ligament with ease. I stood up, fuming. "I never want to see you ever again."

I stormed up to Hughes' office, losing my anger along the way. I opened the door, mostly deflated and full of regret.

"Well, I have a way of screwing up my life." I sighed, faking cheerfulness.


	7. The Practical

A/N: DAMMIT ALL! I had a good one plotted out, and then STUPID FF HAD TO LOG ME OUT WITHOUT SAVING A WORD! That's why the chapter took so long!

* * *

"I wonder what Clara would be like when she's drunk. Since she's so ... spirited and quirky sober, do you think she'd be sober drunk?"

I gave me best friend a confused look. "Hughes, she's twenty. She's not old enough to handle liquor."

Hughes grinned. "She said her birthday's April 24th. I'm sure we can take her out then. And that's only a month away!"

I chuckled, seeing his idea. "I wonder if she could even handle anything strong. I bet she'd be even worse drunk." I glanced at the unfinished papers I had to do. "Well, I should get back to work."

"And I should keep an eye on you know who. She's already set fire to a paper she was trying to make a bomb out of, frozen my ice water, and almost made a hole in the wall with said bomb." Hughes sighed. "She's got spirit, that's for sure. At least she's skilled enough to make up for her lack of control." Hughes turned and left my office with a sigh.

"I wonder what her title will be ..." I mused.

* * *

"Aw, come on! One last shot! I've almost got it, I swear!"

Hughes was holding the now empty glass away from me. "I said no, and I mean it!"

I scowled and turned away. "Fine. Then I'll go find something else to practice on. How about those papers of yours?"

"Not those! Take this, instead. I don't see how this could possibly go wrong." Hughes handed me a clipboard that was clearly broken. The hinge wasn't tight anymore.

I fixed it in two seconds flat. "Got anything I can destroy? It's my talent, after all! I've destroyed a rake, a broom, a sewing machine, the front end of my beloved car, too many hangers to count-"

"All right, I get it. You're a destroying type person. Go outside and try not to do anything irreversible." Hughes gestured to the window. "Just don't hurt yourself, okay?"

"You got it, boss man!" I said cheerfully and made my way outside. Most people are gloomy with cloudy skies, but I could almost feel the storm coming. Call it injury prediction. And my friends and co-workers know that I'm in an insanely good mood when a storm's coming.

Either that, or I'm about to get angry for no reason, then start crying over some stupid little thing. I consider it a major hormonal imbalance. Then the cramps settle in. Enough to make my stomach rebel.

I groaned. Even thinking about it made it hurt.

I tried to focus on the clouds though. Judging from my aching ligament, where I had sprained it, I figured that there'd be a good thunderstorm tomorrow. That would be good news, since I might be too excited from the coming storm to worry too much about the exam. Maybe, just maybe, I could become a State Alchemist. With some hard work (not really), guts (I'm not sure I have those. Either that or they're screwed up.), and luck (or talent), I could pass.

* * *

"You know how stupid your plan is, right?"

I grinned. "Yup! But I think that it'll work. Judging from the wind, the storm's about to come on us. I've noticed patterns where I used to live. Storm coming? Wind. Lots of wind. After the clouds, of course."

"And what are you going to do if the exam is moved inside?" Roy asked.

"I'm going to go to plan B. Imitate other alchemy. It's what I do best, after all." I turned to face the man I had offended a few days ago. "See you later, hothead!" I turned and ran toward the exam grounds.

The other alchemists there seemed uneasy. None of them seemed confidant, like I was. It was either confidence or sheer giddiness about the weather. With any luck, this was a thunderstorm.

Then an officer came out and ushered us the the exam room, explaining that due to the weather, we'd have to move inside.

I groaned. Fine then. I'd resort to plan B. Wait ... I didn't have a good plan B!

Now I was panicking. What if I failed? I mean, I've failed a couple classes, but this was something different! If I didn't pass this year, then the next year I'd be competing against Ed, therefore possibly messing up the timeline of events and the space-time continuum and-

No. I'd be perfectly fine. The State Alchemist program is to find people who have opened the gate. Once they see I've been through the horrors of that place and come out (mostly) in tact (save for the questionable mental stability), they've got to accept me.

I watched as the few alchemists left performed their alchemy, one with difficulty, one without trouble, one with ease, and one with his research. I waited for my chance, not seeing it until the end. The examiners seemed to be bored and were watching me with boredom. I smirked. "Well, I figured I'd save the best for last. But before I go in, I'd like to explain what I do.

"I can see the circles an alchemist uses, and I can feel the traces of alchemy used from an old transmutation. The traces fade away after a while, some faster than others, depending on how big the transmutation was. For example, the first transmutation you saw was a simple reconstruction of the ground. All he did was just shape the ground into something else. A minor transmutation. The guy that went before me, however, had to use some serious alchemy. I can still feel traces from here, and I don't think he used the most humane ways to get the research he showed you. I'm convinced he's used something he shouldn't have, like a human life or two, to get where he is now."

That caught their attention. They where now scribbling down notes as fast as they could. As I waited for them to finish, I walked to the center of the room and paused. "If you'd like, I can imitate some of the alchemy your renowned State Alchemists use. For example, the Freezing Alchemist." I clapped, pulled moisture from the air, and formed a weapon. A small dagger, but it was the best I could do in a dry-ish room. "The Strong Arm Alchemist." I broke off a chunk from the first transmutation and threw it up in the air. I clapped as it came back down, barely touching it and changing the shape. "And the Flame Alchemist." I pulled out a lighter I had bought earlier. I clapped, changing the air and lit the lighter. The result was a small explosion in mid-air.

"You don't use circles, do you?" one of the examiners asked.

"Of course not! Where would an alchemist have time to draw a transmutation circle on the battlefield?" I countered. "Besides, why would someone who's seen the Truth of alchemy need to use such mundane things as circles, when you can complete them by clapping your hands and using your body as the runes?"

That scored me some awed and frightened looks from the alchemists.

"I think we've found a new State Alchemist. Miss Graves, which of our personnel found a talented alchemist like you?" one of the examiners asked.

"That would have been Lt. Col. Mustang. Although, I'd prefer to work under Maj. Hughes, if you don't mind." I smiled at them as the other alchemists left the room with dirty glares toward me.

"We'll let the Fuhrer know of your talent and skill, and Maj. Hughes should be receiving your certification in the next week or so."

* * *

"This official document certifies that the nation of Amestris, prefecture of the Generalissimo appoints the name Imitation Alchemist to Clara Graves in the name of Fuhrer King Bradley.

The State Alchemist shall follow all orders and policies of the military.

A research assessment examination shall be held once every year. In the case that the State Alchemist does not show signs of progress as a result of the examination, she shall be discharged from the services of State Alchemist.

The State Alchemist is entitled to the use of ample research funds, unrestricted access to classified documentation, access to various governmental facilities, and a military rank equal to that of 'Major'.

-King Bradley"

* * *

A/N: I think this actually turned out better than the first attempt. And don't worry. You don't have to review for more chapters. But they're still appreciated!


	8. Meeting and Surprise

I sat down with a hefty sigh. "All right. I finished with those books and files. Can I go now?" I asked.

"You still have these to do." Hughes gestured to the pile he was just setting aside.

I shot him a glare. "You slave driver. Don't you have someone else to do this?" I asked, almost whining.

"Of course I do! But he's taking a vacation until who knows when!" Hughes grinned.

"But ... I wanted to ..." I trailed off. It had almost been a year and a half since I had become a State Alchemist. I knew that Edward would be arriving soon, to take the exams. I wanted to see the kid's performance first-hand. Besides, I haven't seen them since I ran out of the house in a major hurry. I stood up. "Forget it. I'm not working anymore here. I'm leaving early. Unless you want your only alchemist gone after a mere year of service." I walked out calmly.

Man, how the hell do I manage things like that? A couple years ago, I would have burst out in a fit and started throwing things. Now I felt like I had more control of myself. Was it being with a family that wasn't so ... broken?

I made my way out into the city, walking down streets. I had a little clue of what I could do for my yearly assessment. But then I would reveal myself as a time-traveler ... at best. Then they'd probably do an investigation, find out that I was someone from another world. Things would only go downhill from there, and ...

A whistle drew me from my thoughts.

I had walked to the station while I was lost in thought. I just had a way of walking to the oddest places while I thought. As I started to turn to go back, a couple passengers caught my attention. A kid and someone wearing a suit of armor. I grinned, knowing who those people were.

I turned back to walk to HQ when I heard someone call my name.

"Clara! Hey, Clara!"

I pretended not to hear it; after all, the station was a little crowded. I got halfway to HQ when he called again. I turned around with a smile playing on my lips. "Oh, Alphonse! Where's your brother?" I asked.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?!" Edward demanded, furious.

I chuckled. "Still got that problem, huh? I can understand that. I can't stand it when someone- Wait. I almost gave that away!" I turned and started walking again. "What brings you here to the city?"

"The exam to become a state alchemist. What was it like, a year and a half ago?" Edward asked. "Was it easy?"

"That's classified information, Edward," I replied. "I can't go around telling everyone about the military's secrets. However, I can tell you something else. It's not an easy life."

"I know that." Edward shot me a glare. "Why don't you answer my question with a direct answer for once?!"

I chuckled and shook my head. "I thought you knew. I have an issue with answering questions: I don't answer directly. It's just something I haven't fixed quite yet."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just that I'm working on fixing my personality. I've done a good job for a year and a half. I just need to do this and that, the other thing, attempt to be normal. I'll let you know how that works, okay?" I grinned.

"Wait, you answered that decently." Edward pointed out. "So you're getting better. You seem more ... adultish."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah. I wonder if any of my friends will notice."

"Friends? You mean besides us?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, some of my former co-workers. They've seen me at my ... most unstable. I kind of remember those times ... I can act like I'm drunk. When I'm completely sober." I chuckled nervously. "It's not a pretty sight. At all. I've concerned a couple co-workers and a manager, I'm sure. Surprised I wasn't fired before I came here."

"A manager? What's that?" Edward asked.

I sighed, scolding myself for slipping up. "They're kinda like a superior officer in the military. You disobey orders, you get in trouble." I tried to explain to them. It had been too long since I had been in America.

They fell silent, and I led them to HQ. "I doubt I'll see you two until the end of my shift. Bye!" I walked down the hallways, avoiding the scolding I'd get when I get back to Hughes' office.

"Graves?"

I sighed and turned around. "Ross. Hughes call for me?" I asked. A melancholic air was surrounding me. I didn't really want to go back to the office.

"He wants you to report back to the office immediately, sir!" Ross saluted.

I sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll go. Doesn't mean I want to, but when a superior calls, you have to come. Damn leash." I slowly trudged back to the office, opening the door suddenly. "You called, oh great one?"

"Yeah, could you get started on those books for me? You could have just told me that you were picking up the kids Roy met a year and a half ago." Hughes gave me a smile. "Here's the next batch."

I groaned. "When is your shift over, Hughes?" I asked as I picked the books up. "I'd like to come over, if you don't mind."

"Not until late tonight. After you're gone." Hughes didn't even look up at me. "Maybe Saturday?"

I sighed as I put the first book back. "Sure. Still haven't gotten any dates since I've been here."

"You know, Roy's always av-"

"I'm not going out with that womanizing bastard." I put the next book away a little forcefully. "Hughes, you know that I dislike the thought of going out with him."

"That's not what your blush is telling me." Hughes' voice had a knowing tone.

That made me speechless. I had always wanted to go out with him, because of my crush on him. But I've seen how he really acts. A shallow, arrogant, narcissistic guy. I thought he was actually a nice guy, but I guess that's only to his inner circle of trusted people. "Either way, I've seen how he acts to me and it's really starting to piss me off. He's a complete, arrogant jerk!"

Hughes just laughed. "He's actually a nice guy. Just let him warm up to you, and you'll see he's a great guy."

I flopped my head back, giving him a one-eyed stare. "You're more insane than I am, Hughes." I sighed, returning to work. "Besides, he'd never ask someone like me out. I'm just ... well, a girl who's mental stability is questionable. At best."

Hughes started guffawing. "You think you're a mentally unstable girl that's ordinary?!"

I slammed the books down on his desk. "My shift is over. See you tomorrow, sir." I left the office with a huff.

As I walked down the stairs, I heard a familiar voice.

"There's no way that he was promoted to a Colonel just by finding Clara! It's illogical!"

"Brother, you need to calm do-"

"No. I want to hear what he has to say about me." I stopped and turned. "What's your problem, Ful- er, Edward?"

"My problem is that the Colonel used you to get a promotion!" Edward snapped. "He practically told me himself!"

I sighed. "I figured as much." I mumbled. "That bastard only thinks of himself."

"You think so, too? Let's make a Mustang-haters section of the military!" Edward grinned evilly.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but there's already one. It's called the military. The majority of the higher-ups think he's too young." I sighed, turning to go down the stairs. "He's such a je-ACK!"

I took a painful tumble down the stairs.

"Oh ... Ow ..." I grumbled and attempted to stand. My right foot screamed in pain, but I bit back the pain. Probably sprained the ligament on the foot. Again. "I'm okay!" I called.

Edward was gaping from the top of the landing. "I've never seen someone fall that ... horribly."

I shot him a glare. "Shut up, FullMetal!" I spat. "I don't want to hear anything from a kid that's almost a decade younger than I am!" I limped away.

"Wait!" Edward called.

I ignored him, limping slowly. It hurt too much to put weight on the foot, and I wasn't going to use alchemy to fix it.

"You're limping."

"No, really?" I asked sarcastically. "I couldn't tell from the pain in my foot!"

He cleared his throat. "Hughes just called me. He said you've never been out on a date?"

I shot him a glare. "Yeah, so? Nobody ever saw me as a potential girlfriend, since I'm not what you'd call normal. I still think you're a shallow person."

He chuckled. "Care to go out with me?" he asked.


	9. Date

I checked my watch over and over, but it seemed that time had suddenly stopped. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that I was either near the TARDIS or the DeLorean Time Machine. I usually had a great tolerance of waiting for things, but a first date? Nuh-uh. I know, I'm not cut out to be his girlfriend, or his lover. Hell, there was no way I cut out to be his wife. Maybe there was a one-in-a-million chance (among all my fantasies where I had become his wife), but the odds were against me.

I watched the cars drive past me. In the past two and a half years, I had tried to save some money so I could at least buy one. But I didn't know much about cars. I could tell my engine from my tailpipe, at least. I could tell what parts went where on my car. The air intake on the drivers side, very front. Then on the passenger side, the battery, with the air conditioner condenser in front. Radiator right behind the ACC, then the cooling fans, engine, Oxygen Sensor down and behind the Engine. Fuse boxes above. And that's just scratching the surface.

I watched a car approach me, slowing to a halt in front of me. I tried to put the pocket watch away, but I kept a hand on it. I didn't know what I was going to do if it was that serial killer that chopped up women. Use the chain and tie him up? The driver's door opened. "Hey."

I relaxed and pulled my hand out of my purse. "It's not a good idea to pull up to a woman, you know. That killer hasn't been caught yet." I chuckled, shaking my head. If I remembered correctly, this year was the last time that Barry killed someone before he was caught.

"Then next time, let me escort you from your apartment to my car." Roy gave me a smirk, which I returned with a glare.

"You only wanted to have some time to sink your perverted fangs into my skin." I slipped into his car with ease. I tried to ignore the sudden urge to look at the engine workings, to find out how these cars ran, how much horsepower it contained. I chuckled as I realized how much of a gearhead I was. "I'd like to see how one of these runs, take a look under the hood. Do you know how much horsepower the engine has? Or what its made of?"

"You're starting to sound like a car mechanic." Roy chuckled, shaking his head.

"That's because my dad and my oldest sister are mechanics. They work on cars as a hobby. But they're much more complicated than this." I clammed up, realizing that I had let my mouth get the best of myself once again. "Well, that is ... I mean ..." I trailed off, shaking my head.

"What do you mean, more complicated? Does your family own a factory?" he asked.

"Yeah. I tried to get away from the mechanical industry, but I guess I can't stop the gearhead inside." I swallowed, looking out the windshield.

He pulled away from the curb. "What's your family like?" he asked.

I looked at him, shocked at the question. "Well, my mom died when I was thirteen. My dad remarried nine months later. My stepmom tried her best to re-teach me how to clean because my mom didn't really teach me." I paused. "Before you get all sympathetic towards me, don't. My mom and I weren't close."

"When did you meet the Elric Brothers?" he asked.

"About a year before you did. I was out in a field, trying to figure out where I needed to go in life. I met their extended family, the Rockbells, about a week before they came back from their alchemy training." I watched the cars pass, and I noticed that we were going slow. I figured that there wasn't much horsepower in the engine. "I'm just curious. Why did you ask me out?"

"Because I wanted to settle a bet that Hughes and I made before you became a State Alchemist." He pulled up to a bar. "I'm sure you've never really had a drink before, right?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nope. The heaviest thing I've had is painkillers from oral surgery." And some night cold medicine. That stuff burned as it went down, but at least it helped.

"Then I think I know what'd be a good drink for you." Roy smirked, turned off the engine, and opened his door. I watched his movements carefully, relaxing as he came around to open my door. I set a high-heeled foot down, ignoring the pain as I put the right one down. I had refused to use alchemy to fix it, and I didn't really have much time to get it looked at. He must have noticed the flash of pain that crossed my expression, because he offered his hand to me. "I heard you hurt yourself before I asked you out."

I scowled at him, but took his hand. "All right, I'll take some help. It's trying to murder me. Maybe I can put it on a case and let Hughes deal with it." I chuckled at my joke. "Besides, I find it hard to believe that someone like me, whose parents think it's a crime to drink, is going out with the womanizer in the military to get a drink. Is that ironic or just a plain twist of fate?"

Roy held the door open for me. "I think you're going to have a good time, at the very least."

"Roy! Clara!" A familiar voice called. "How're you two?"

I tried to act casual in the atmosphere. After all, it was nearing the end of September. Elysia should be born in October. Hughes had announced that Graceia was pregnant the second he had heard and worked. That was about seven or eight months ago.

"We're fine, Hughes. I hope you're ready to lose your bet. I'm still thinking she's going to be worse when she's drunk." Roy chuckled, putting an arm around me.

"Nah, I'm sure she's going to be serious, the exact opposite she normally is." Hughes chuckled, prying Roy's hand off my shoulder.

"I think that if I get a hang over, I'm going to go through both your offices and make it look like a natural disaster had come through without warning." I interrupted their chatter.

"Really, Roy? I think you're trying to get back for making an ass out of you when you met, right?" Hughes gave Roy a curious look.

"I knew he liked to play with fire, but with alcohol? That's just a bad combination. Alcohol is highly flammable, you know." I shook my head with a sigh. "Eithar that or you think that someone could actually breathe fire or smoke, right?"

As the bartender came by with the order, I cast a glance at Hughes. "If anything happens and I get too insane, please restrain my hands. That way, I can't use any alchemy." I gave him a trusting look, and he nodded slowly.

* * *

"You never answered my question, Clara. Why'd you stiffen at first?" Hughes asked.

I sighed, hoping nobody had noticed that. "Well, there's a long story behind that, and that means getting all fuzzy and telling you all my little secrets and the story of my life up to now." I sighed, shaking my head. "Just call it an alchemic breakthrough or something like that. Either that or I've gone completely insane."

Hughes gave me a suspicious look. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"I'd prefer not to say, Hughes. I'm sure you can understand." I returned back to the case I was working, back to the case with Barry the Chopper. Of course, he was only known as the Chopper now. I frowned as I read over the file once again. "Hughes, I'm going out. I think I might have found a clue in this case."

"Wait, where are you going?" Hughes called.

I paused in the doorway. "To talk to the families. Ask them if there was anyone they talked to that angered them or the killer." I ducked out of the room, limping down the hall. I got to the stairs and took a deep breath. They always gave me trouble.

Once I was outside, I glanced down at my notebook. I had written the addresses and put directions down from one place to the next, at the very least. I was getting more familiar with the city every day, but I normally could find my way around.

A couple visits led me to confirm what I already knew. Someone got into a fight or argument with a certain butcher, then died, pardon the word, butchered. I was confidant that I could reveal this know, but I hesitated in my mind as I walked back to HQ. There wasn't much I could do.

I instead focused on the events of last night. What had happened that Hughes questioned me about was something indescribable. It was as if I had been split into two, yet I was still one person, in a way. One person in one universe, one person in another universe. I had woken from my coma in America, and I was still in Amestris. I was in two places at once, subconsciously aware of the other one. It was almost like breathing. You don't really need to tell yourself to breathe so you can get oxygen into your body. That's what it was like with being conscious about two of you from the same soul, I guess.

_Are you going to try to get back eventually? And what will you pay for the toll?_

I chuckled. _Truth, it's been a while. I haven't heard from you in about a year. At least you somehow split my soul, right?_

If a voice inside your head could send emotions, I'd be sure Truth was just confused. _What do you mean? That was all you, two bodies, one soul, two places. Your spirit did that, not me._

_Body, Soul, Spirit. Blah blah blah._ I rolled my eyes as I hauled myself upstairs again. _I have work to do, and as much as I want it to, it's not going to do itself.__  
_


	10. Ed's Show

I had probably dozed off sometime in the practical exam. I had gotten more than enough sleep, but I had also used my sleep time to acquaint myself with the new things in America. I had started swimming to build up muscle that I had lost in two and a half years. I was, once again, grateful that I knew how to swim, unlike my dad. He was in the Great Salt Lake once. Still managed to sink. I had wanted to visit the lake, but once I heard and smelled how bad it was, I refused. Having a keener sense of smell was a burden sometimes.

"Hey!" someone jabbed me in the ribs, and I came out of my semi-conscious state.

I grunted, shaking my head. "What the hell was that for? I was trying to catch up on my sleep!" I spat. "I'm too worn out, for the love of-"

"Shut it!" the Colonel hissed. "The kid's up."

I straightened up, watching as FullMetal came up. "I bet this is going to be good. I mean, he is a child prodigy, right? So I'm sure he's going to do something we won't forget anytime soon." I smirked, already knowing what he'd do. "Besides, if things get out of hand, I'll be right here, able to stop him with a clap of my hands. You? You'd take a good five seconds of time to get your gloves on, and another two to immobilize him. I'd say I'm more of use compared to you."

"Are you saying I'm useless in a situation like this?" Mustang asked.

I scoffed and shook my head. "Are you dense? That's what I was trying to be nice to say." My attention turned to the pipsqueak, who had clapped and started to transmute something. I tried not to smirk as he formed his spear. Once he was done, he paused and charged toward the Fuhrer. The officers and officials around me were startled and tried to move quickly to stop the kid. I merely jumped down from the little balcony, crouched, and prepared to clap.

He stopped charging a few inches away from the Fuhrer, and I straightened. I leaned against a pillar as the kid was scolded and his spear was sliced through. "Well, that's actually what I expected." I smirked and yawned again. I turned and left the room, already knowing what would happen.

I joined up with the three outside, a knowing smirk forming on my lips. As they walked, they started to talk.

"I have to say, you put on quite a show back there." Mustang chuckled as they left the building.

Edward, clearly angry, retorted, "Shut up. I should charge you two a spectator's fee."

Mustang just laughed. "You're lucky to get out of there alive after pointing a spear at the Fuhrer President like that, even if it was a practical joke." His laughter stopped. "If you get your license, you will become a member of the military."

I cut in. "But if there's any doubt of your loyalty to Bradley, your license will be revoked. Be careful."

Edward shot Roy a glare. "I should say the same to you two. When I pointed my spear at the old guy, _you_ didn't seem to be alarmed, Colonel." He then turned to me. "And you didn't seem too worried that I'd attack him, either. Hardly the reaction of loyal subordinates."

Roy turned to Hawkeye, pointing at the kid. "He's got a point."

Hawkeye sighed. "Colonel, in those kinds of situations, you should at least _act_ like you're worried."

Roy faced forward again, finger on his chin. "Yup! If you _had_ done away with Bradley back then, it would have opened up a position for me."

"Hey, hey hey!" Edward got an evil grin. "What a juicy bit of gossip! Maybe I should _snitch_ on you to the military command."

Roy just laughed. "And where would _that_ get you? I've got some dirt of my own."

Ed just started at him, lost.

I sighed, shaking my head. "'Do not create humans. Do not create gold. Swear absolute loyalty to the military.' Those are the three rules that a State Alchemist must never break." I shot him a glance.

"Even though the process was incomplete, you guys did try to transmute a human being. If that were to come to light, your career would be over before it started." Roy gave Edward a superior smirk. "And your brother might even be sent to the lab for study. Catch my drift, squirt? You keep your past a secret and accept the license as if nothing happened. And my own stock will rise for finding another talented alchemist. As long as your little secret stays under wraps, we both win. So don't get any ideas."

"_Why you lousy-!_" Edward started.

I cut him off, shooting a glare at the Colonel. "You've still got a week till they announce your results, so just enjoy your week in East City and forget all about this little matter."

"And what are you going to do, Imitation?" Edward shot me a glare.

"Me? Oh, I've got to get back to Central. I've almost gotten this killer, you see. I've narrowed down what he does in the day, so it can't be too hard to find the guy." Not to mention I already know who he is. I sighed, shaking my head. "Looks like I'll have to get my revenge on Mustang some other time."

"Wait, what? You didn't get a hangover, Hughes told me!" Roy protested. "So why do you want revenge?"

I shot him a glare, one of my 'shut-up-or-I'll-kill-you-slowly-and-painfully' glares. "Because you walked over me to get promoted, you bastard. So I'm going to make you pay for that. I'm not the type of woman who forgives easily, and I'm going to make you regret meeting me, the Imitation Alchemist. After all, I did outsmart you a few times already." I smirked, turning my back to him. "Be on your guard, Mustang. I don't want this to be too easy."

* * *

"You really threatened Roy?" Hughes laughed. "I knew you had a crush on him, but that? Man, you're really playing hard to get, aren't you?"

I wanted nothing more than to stick my fingers in my ears and ignore his comments. "Hughes, I've already told you, I hate that guy's guts. He's a self-absorbed jerk that doesn't care about anyone but himself. He'll walk on people just so he can rise to the top, so why should I let him do it without complaint? Besides, I warned FullMetal about him."

"Who's FullMetal?" Hughes asked, glancing up at me.

I mentally cursed myself for my slip-up. Again. "The kid. It's going to be his codename."

"And how do you know that? Did you talk to the Fuhrer?" Hughes returned to his paperwork.

I sighed, sitting down on the floor. "It's a long story. I think you deserve to know who I really am, where I come from, and how I know these things."

Just then, the phone rang.

"Lt. Col. Hughes." Hughes picked up the phone. He quickly blanched and stood up. "It's what?!" he gasped. "Hang on, I'll be right there!" He hung up the phone and gave me a glance. "Call a doctor! My house! Gracia's having our baby!"

I watched as he ran out of the office, shouting something about being a dad. I shook my head with a smile, trying not to laugh. "Hughes, you're still insane." I mumbled.

* * *

A/N: Hey! It's me again! I had this chapter done shortly after the previous one. I figured you'd like a double update, now that we're finally nearing the good stuff in the Manga/Anime! I'll try to update when I can, but with school, work, and moving, it might be a little while. I'll still try, though!


	11. The Assessment

I stared at the car. I had just bought a broken-down piece of junk from an elderly man, struggling to pay hospital bills. It couldn't take me too long to make it into a replica of my Bonnie, right?

I was using my American counterpart to research how much I'd have to modify this piece of junk, and I was surprised. I might as well try from scratch! But I had a base of the car, and I could quickly transmute it into my car. All I had to do was ...

"What are you doing?" Hughes asked me.

I jumped, scattering my notes every which way. "Dammit, Hughes!" I snarled. "I'm trying to make something for my Alchemy assessment in a few months! Can't you just give me a break and let me do my research?!"

Hughes just laughed at me. "You're acting like Roy when that time of year comes around! Of course, he usually makes stuff up so he passes."

I grinned. "Really? Well then, I could just do that and work on this on the side. But if I don't work on this, there's no way I can help this country and their vehicular problems!" I gestured to the paper that listed everything wrong with the junker I had bought. Hughes looked at it and swallowed, shaking his head.

"You know, you never told me your story last month. I'm dying to know!" Hughes poked me by the shoulder blade. "I'd like to hear it!"

I shot him a scowl. "I don't recall saying that!" I snapped. "But if it'll get you to stop pestering me, then sit down and I'll tell you."

Hughes just sat beside me, careful not to crinkle any of my notes. "Well, go on."

I started gathering my papers as I began, "Well, before I start into anything, I'm going to say this: I come from another world, in a time that's yet to come. More like the future from another world. This world is where science has developed much like Alchemy did here. In that world, there's no such thing as alchemical transmutations. Just reactions.

"The majority of everything in my home world is advanced. Our cars are more sleek and aerodynamic, also engineered to save gas, therefore allowing more miles to the gallon. The tires are more wide, allowing for more control of the vehicle. The majority have automatic transmissions, where you don't have to physically shift gears. We have more technology than you do here, and our medicine is more advanced, too. Due to this, the population of the world had reached over seven billion a few years ago. People have lived to over a hundred!"

I paused, now absorbed in sorting my notes again. "There's so many things that I can't explain to you because it's hard. But I can try to explain some of the technology that's available to people in my world. We have these phones that we carry in our pocket. No, I'm not talking about that ten pound thing on your desk, I'm talking less than a pound. They're usually mostly useful when they have a signal provided by a company that helps you to call from anywhere. Think of it like a portable phone that you can carry with you and use to talk to people all the time. However, they have their downsides, since they run on a battery, a portable power source." I looked up at Hughes, who was giving me a fake smile.

I sighed, shaking my head. "I know, it sounds far-fetched." I finished sorting my notes. "But it's true. I can prove it to you when I've got this done. I'm just hoping I can make it in time."

"It's not that I doubt you, but it does sound like a dream."

I froze. Wait, I still had my cell phone in my bag! It was at my apartment, but I know I have it. "Wait right there! I'll be right back, with proof of my world!" I dashed out of his office, earning me a chuckle.

When I got back to Hughes' office, I skidded to a halt. "Hughes!" I called as I entered. "I told yo-"

"Oh, my daughter's the cutest little thing!"

I groaned, shaking my head. Of course Hughes would be talking on the phone about his family. Once again. I decided to ignore him and turned my cell phone on. While it was coming on, I used alchemy to repair the broken screen on my iPod and tried to turn it on. However, it refused and I put it back in my bag. "Well, that's a bummer." I mumbled. While I waited for Hughes to hang up, I returned to my notes. A Model A was almost exactly like what I had bought, so I should be able to modify the body to the sedan style of my car. But the engine and the workings of the two were different. My car had many parts to it, and I doubted that this car had a catalytic converter. Not to mention the major difference in horsepower and engine style. I would be busy for a while. At least it was something I enjoyed doing ... sort of.

The process would take me a while, and I would need more materials. I'd need the whole washer fluid assembly, Air Conditioner compressor and Freon, among other things. Plastic for the cooling fans, lots of wires, and more plastic and rubber. Not to mention the metals inside a catalytic converter!

I groaned, putting my head on the books for today. "This is going to take forever!" I complained. "Besides the extra metal, the rubber, the precious metals, the engine is going to have to be redesigned, along with the radiator, and ... Oooohh ..."

Everything went black.

* * *

"This is what you spent this past year on, Imitation?"

I nodded, finally having finished with my car. The transmission cooling lines had started leaking oil, which put me back about a month while I worked on tweaking the engine. "I've taken a lot of time, research, and effort into making this beauty here."

"Care to give us an explanation?" the General asked.

"Well, what I've done is ..." I went into a detailed explanation into how the engine worked, showed them the electric start up, which got their attention. The quieter engine made them start talking to each other, and when I tried to explain all the workings, they stopped me.

"I know you've put a lot of work into this. But we're not mechanics. I'd say you've passed with more than enough this year." The general quickly signed the forms, and I smiled evilly. I figured he just didn't want to hear the details on how the sensors communicated. As the officers and personnel left, I started checking the transmission lines. I still didn't trust them with the repair work I had done. My head under the hood, leaning over the engine ... It was bound to happen sometime.

So I did the first thing that came to my head. I straightened up and slapped them across the face.

I had to admit, the black oil streaks on his face added something to it. The look of shock, though ... Man, I would never hear the end of this.

"Hey, er, Graves." Hughes pulled out a handkerchief and tried to wipe the oil off his face. When I started to laugh more, he gave up. "Just wanted to let you know that there's a rumor going around that the Chopper's been getting restless. Same way of killing, with bodies mutilated and bled out. Almost like meat ..."

I sighed, taking the cloth from his hand and using it to finish getting the oil off. "Sorry about slapping you, sir. I warned you that I was easily startled. And don't you worry about that killer. I was doing something other than tinkering with my new possession." I patted myself on the back for being such a FMA-know-it-all. I knew what his shop was, and when it was open. I just needed the location. "You wouldn't happen to have a map of the city, would you?"

"You've been living here for how long, taken more than enough patrols, and still need a map?" Hughes sighed and shook his head. "You're hopeless with directions, you now that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. If you don't mind, I'll be in the office, looking a butcher." I turned, pulled my hood down and stopped about six inches from the latch. I adjusted my hold and jerked my hands back, effectively latching the hood. I made sure that my car was locked and went into command. Within a few minutes, I had the directions I needed to find Barry.

_Good luck, and I do hope you know what you're doing._

I smirked. "Oh, I do."


	12. Isaac the Freezer

"You know, it's only been three years since we last had time to ourselves like this."

"Says the pervert who's bent on getting the women in the military to wear miniskirts _if_ he becomes Fuhrer."

I shot Mustang a teasing glance. He had come to Central because of a certain alchemist going rampant. Where it all begins in the anime: Isaac the Freezer and his little plot there. He had a good idea, but not a good plan. If I had been him, I would have kept secret until the right moment, and bam! get rid of the Fuhrer and the Homunculi. If only I were as resilient as I wanted to be.

"So, what is that green monstrosity by the curb?" Mustang pointed to my car.

I elbowed him in the ribs, hard. "That 'monstrosity' is my car, you jerk. I should have you flambeed for that." I jingled my keys. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"In that death trap?!" He gasped, giving me a horrified look.

I scowled and jabbed him in the ribs again, earning a grunt from him. "She's more safe than your old putter!" I retorted. "Safety features such as seatbelts, a hook system so the hood doesn't fly into the windshield and slice your head off, tempered glass, an anti-lock braking system, and airbags." I unlocked my door and reached in to unlock the others.

"And how much did you spend making this ... 'safe' thing?" Mustang gave me a skeptical look.

I paused and counted on my fingers. "Eh ... I don't know. 100,000 cens, maybe? You know the door's unlocked, right?"

He opened the passenger door and sat down, eyeing the interior. "Cloth?" he asked.

"Well, leather's kinda expensive, and it's uncomfortable after long rides to me." I got in and closed my door. "I could go into the details about my car, but there's too much and a non-mechanic like you would never understand. Now Ed's mechanic, on the other hand ..." I trailed off, smiling at the thought of Winry seeing my car. She'd freak out and want to take it apart, just to see how it worked!

He watched as I put on the seatbelt. "And what is that?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "The seatbelt, dumbass. It's designed to lock if the driver steps on the break abruptly. It helps prevent injury, supposedly. Do you need some help putting it on? The buckle's by the opposite hip, by the way."

He gave me a scowl and I laughed.

_Tvrr tvrr ... vrrrrrm_

I reached over and rolled the windows down as I released the parking brake. "I enjoy a little breeze when I'm driving." I pulled from the curb and sped up. 10, 15, past 20 miles an hour. I hated the old cars; they had little horsepower and went extremely slow. At least the side streets were deserted as I sped up. I had now cleared thirty.

"Uh ... You do know how fast you're going, right?" Mustang looked pale.

I grinned. "This is nothing. My car can clear seventy miles an hour with ease. Besides, there's a plan to my madness!" I cackled, earning me a 'this-woman-is-going-to-kill-me' look. "Relax. I'm a good driver. In fact, I just passed my second driver's exam where I came from! Here, any idiot can drive my car. Automatic transmission, no shifting gears manually. It's a lovely bit of technology, really."

"And yet, nobody's bothered to steal it because ...?" Mustang looked at me, eyebrow raised.

I kept my eyes on the road, slowing enough to take a right. "It's too easily identified. Not to mention nobody would dare steal a military officer's car. Let alone mine. I'd probably torch, freeze, or impale their ass before they got too far." I smirked at that fact. "I even personalized the plates. The State Alchemist's symbol on the plate, with Alchemy as identifiable letters. After all, I couldn't have made this beauty without it. And a lot of help from my sources."

"Your ... sources?" Mustang raised an eyebrow.

I chuckled. "I have my secrets, you know. I'm not a helpless little girl, waiting for her prince on a white horse to come sweep her off her feet. I'm not planning on falling in love. Ever."

"Then how come Hughes insists that you have a crush on me?"

"Because he's trying to get you to take me out, of course. After all, doesn't he insist that you get yourself a wife?"

* * *

"How'd someone like you get involved in the military?"

I advanced after Armstrong's attack. "Well, I have my motives." I didn't flinch as Armstrong blew through the wall. I stood back and watched as Armstrong and Isaac started to talk.

_Wait, doesn't Isaac make the first move down the middle of the alley?_

My eyes widened at this realization. I clapped my hands as his met the puddle, nullifying his alchemy by turning it into steam. This was coupled with Armstrong's counterattack, setting off a water-based explosion in the alley.

I was blown back by the force, knocking me into the street as the Elric brothers came running in. Damn, I was rendered useless. Unless ... I ran after the Freezer, wincing at the heat from the steam. I cursed loudly because I lost him in the humidity. "Damn the Bastard!" I punched the nearest object to me, which happened to be the wall of a building. I pulled my hand back, too pissed to notice the blood from my broken skin. "I want patrols around the city. With the Freezer on the loose, we can't afford to be lax in our security!" I reached for my keys. "I'll be back, you can count on that."

"Clara?"

I scoffed, turning around. "Make it quick. I need to do my job and catch this moron before he puts whatever he has planned into action."

Ed gave me a glare. "Why didn't you just advance and catch the guy? You had the perfect opportunity to get him when he made that explosion!"

I rolled my eyes. "Do you really think I can be in two places at once? I was busy saving myself from being sliced in half, in case you didn't notice!" I shot a glare at Ed. "You're such an obnoxious little br-"

"_Don't call me little!_" Ed snapped, running toward me.

I merely stepped to the side and let him pass me. "I have a job to do. Go with Armstrong and help patrol."

It was only two hours into the patrol that I spotted him. I informed HQ of his location and followed him on foot.

"Fancy meeting you here. Left your car because you don't want it destroyed by the Freezer?"

I shot Mustang a scowl. "Shut it, hothead. I'd be more than happy to request a battle assessment against you in a few months."

"You and me, fighting?" He scoffed. "I'd have you begging for mercy in two seconds."

We approached the building I had seen him on. "And what are you doing?" I asked.

He paused and looked at me. "What are _you_ doing?" he retorted.

I smirked. "Making a path to the roof. Why don't you stop chasing your tail like a _dog_ and think?" I clapped and formed the ladder with a simple transmutation. "Be as quiet as you can, and we'll take him by surprise." I ordered.

Mustang gave me a scowl. "No way. I want to talk to him first. Surround him, but do not attack until I give a signal."

I returned his scowl as the soldiers filed up behind me. "Dumbass. You're going to get wet up there. There are pipes of water on the roof, and I'll bet he'll use those to escape."

He narrowed his eyes. "And I bet you that I'll be completely fine and take him down." He brushed past me and went to the roof.

I leaned against the wall and waited for him to talk and 'fight' Isaac. It wasn't long before I felt the transmutations occur and the water fall down. I couldn't help but smile as Mustang and the soldiers came back down. "Well, I guess I was right. You now owe me an official date when I resign from the military next year." I grinned at his reaction. "I have things that I need to do before I resign, and they'll happen within a year. Besides, I already know what's going to happen ... and when. You'll want me on your side, not the enemy's. I'm not talking about another country. I'm warning you that things are going to start happening in a year, and it's not going to be pretty." I clapped and dried his uniform off, keeping his gloves soaking wet.

"What the hell?" he asked as I left.

* * *

"So, you and Roy are becoming an item, huh?" Hughes elbowed me.

I gave him a scowl. "Hughes, don't bother. There's no way in hell that he'll take me. He loves his Lieutenant more than me. Besides, I'm not going to be here for much longer."

The three gaped at me in shock. "You're what?" Riza asked.

I sighed. "I need to get back to my true home." I turned and looked out the window at the city. "Where I really come from. I'm not from here ... Not from Amestris, and not from this time."

"Explain." Mustang motioned for me to sit with a hard look. "And that's an order."

I knew I would have to explain sooner or later. Might as well do it now, since I've made two slip-ups in the past day. "I'm from the other side of the Portal of Truth. Where this world is a story, a fictional work published as a series of 27 books.

"The day I woke up in Resembool was the day I was in a horrible car accident, involving the real version of my car here. That accident was bad enough that it put me into a coma. When I woke in Resembool, I had no idea how I had gotten here. I pretended that I was Clara Graves, an aspiring young lady with a knack for alchemy and knowledge of cars. I almost believed that this world was real, that I could stay here. Remember that night when you took me out, sir?" When he nodded, I continued, "Well, that woke me from my two and a half year coma in the world I come from. I've been living in two places and times at once for the past three years.

"The reason I know what's going to happen is because I've read what happens. I have access to the work in that other world. The future for this country right now ... it's not good. And I can't interfere with it too much, or else I could destroy everything."

I swallowed, realizing that I sounded like a lunatic. Maybe they'd have me put in a psyche ward for the rest of my life. That'd probably be a relief for them, not having to worry about me.

"Then what is your real name?" Hughes asked.

"Krystal Buckley."

"Date of birth?"

"April 24, 1995."

"Place of birth?"

"Salt Lake City, Utah. It's a state in a country called the United States of America."

Mustang snorted. "More like a mental state."

"Fine. Dont believe me. Lock me in a padded cell with a straightjacket." I stood up, ignoring the sinking feeling I was getting.

"Well, that explains why you warned the Colonel against fighting the Freezer." Riza's voice stopped me as I turned to the door. "And why you're trying to warn us about events that are going to happen. How much can you tell us?"

I shook my head, heaving a sigh. "A big event will happen here in September. Shortly after the Elrics find out the truth. That's all I can reveal right now."

_You're right. That's the best you can do, Krystal. You shouldn't interfere with what's going to happen. You shouldn't be here at all._


	13. Scar

I wanted nothing more than to vanish right then and there. The look I was getting from Hawkeye was what I expected, but Mustang looked ready to call the psyche ward and have me locked up. I knew I shouldn't have revealed anything to the pervert. "If you'll excuse me, I have something I need to do." I stood and walked to the door. "As in, trying to find a way back without dying." I left the room, shutting the door behind me.

Outside, I started to have a panic attack. I felt like the world was falling apart around me, and I couldn't do anything but watch. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't protect myself. I could only watch.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel anything but terror. I couldn't escape this hell.

_You can, remember? Just focus on the other you._

I couldn't remember how to. I couldn't think.

_Fine. I'll do it for you._

And I was back in America. I was in my room, packing things to move.

"Krystal!"

I groaned and stood, opening my door. "What?" I asked, annoyed.

"Do you still have the packing tape?"

"I'm almost done!"

"Then hurry up!"

I shut my door, fuming. Why did she have to be a control freak?

My phone vibrated, and I picked it up.

'(Clara and Izumi meeting has to happen!)

"On a scale of Hughes to Armstrong to Graves, how strong is your teacher?" Roy asked.

Hughes shot a look at Roy. Was he just called weak?!'

I smiled, chuckling. '(Heck yes!)

"Uh, Graves. Strength wise. Alchemy wise? Uh ..." Ed trailed off.'

Man, I wished I could really be Clara sometimes. The eighth Homunculus in a fanfiction mishmash of the animes. Human-based like Wrath from Brotherhood, just absorbed Lust's powers and turned the homunculus human, and can use alchemy because Clara can use alchemy. In short: Strong and powerful. However, she takes a lot of naps. And she goes through hell for her team.

I continued to pack my things, my age-old idea coming to mind again. Where Clara gets an epiphany and decides to go off to 'kill' the Fuhrer. Actually ends up falling asleep on his chair, a book over the door.

"SON OF A-! Why the hell would you do that?!"

The Fuhrer just chuckled. "Why are you in my office? And when did you get back, anyway?"

Clara groaned, rubbing her healing nose. "I've done so many things within the past day! I deserve a nap! Besides, I believe I had an epiphany: Why not kill the root of the evil instead of hacking the leaves away?"

Wrath narrowed his eyes. "So your epiphany led you to try to assassinate your king."

Clara nodded. "Uh-huh."

"With a book."

Clara nodded again. "Uh-huh."

Wrath's gaze narrowed to a glare. "Your epiphany led you to think you could assassinate your king with a book."

Clara grinned. "Blows your mind, doesn't it? I now think that I didn't really think this through ..."

The door to the office burst open. "Maj. Gen.! Don- ... huh?"

Clara grinned. "'bout time. I was wondering if you'd ever show up."

Drew, Aiden, and Jason were panting in the doorway, confused at the scene.

"Well, I didn't kill him~!" Clara sang.

"She just gave me a good laugh." The Fuhrer turned to the men on Clara's team. "That's all."

I shook my head. Man, that would be a great idea. And Izumi and Clara meeting? I would love to write that out! I can just imagine it: Catastrophic damage everywhere!

I wondered what it would be like to meed Izumi in person ...

"Hey, Lt. Col."

I snapped back to the FMA universe.

I looked up to the pair of eyes behind the rectangular glasses. "Hughes. What'dja want?" I asked. "I was just ... checking my other ... self. Damn, that sounds beyond weird."

"Yes, it does. Why are you crouching there, anyway?" Hughes chuckled, offering a hand.

I swallowed. "Well ... I was avoiding having my first panic attack. I almost succeeded ... and now ..." I crossed my arms, pressing them into my chest. Dammit. Falling apart. Can't do a thing. Can't stop the crumbling.

"Clara? Hey, Clara? Wait, Krystal!"

Pressing. Chest. Struggling to breathe. Tears? No. Tight chest. Thick throat. Crumbling world. Can't stop.

"Krystal!"

I stared at him, unable to keep the panic at bay.

"Are you all right?"

I shook my head. Why was it so hard to breathe? "It's falling apart ... everything I've done here ... Crumbling to pieces ..."

Hughes just sat beside me. "It's going to be all right. I know you're telling the truth. How else could you have known the kid's codename before he got it? How could you have introduced that insane car of yours if you didn't come from the future, in a way? You said you were in an accident, one that threw you into our world. You think this isn't a real world. You know what' going to happen in this world. Nobody who hasn't been around you long enough wouldn't understand any of what you just revealed. I think that accident was no accident: It's fate."

"Fate?"

Hughes chuckled. "Calming down, I see. Yes. Fate. It's fate you're here. It's fate you passed the alchemy exam. It's fate you and Roy met."Hughes patted me on the back. "And you'd be a great wife for him."

"There's no way that mentally unstable woman would make a good wife for me, Hughes!"

I jumped to my feet, clapping my hands on instinct. "Shut it, horse! I nearly had a panic attack because of your stupid ass being all 'She belongs in a mental hospital'! I'm going to kill you!"

Hughes held me back. "Now, now. Don't make me lock you two in a closet somewhere."

"HUGHES!"

Hughes chuckled and backed away. "You two are so alike, it's eerie!"

Mustang and I shot each other a death glare. "Me, like this arrogant, hydrophobic hothead with a God complex? I'm much more sophisticated. At least I don't go throwing myself at everything in a tux!"

"I'm nothing like this short-tempered gearhead with a mental illness! I'm not a recluse with my nose in an alchemy book everywhere I go!" Mustang crossed his arms.

Hughes started cracking up. "See what I mean?!"

I shook my head, sighing. "I'm too tired for this. Besides having a panic attack, I've fallen waaaay behind on my sleep. Good night."

* * *

"So, what's going to happen soon?" Hughes greeted me each morning with that question. In reply, I just shrugged and said, "Nothing today."

So when he grabbed me and Armstrong with tickets to East City, I groaned. I didn't want to go to the city that the Flaming hothead was in. I asked him what it was that called us out.

"That serial killer that's targeting State Alchemists got the Sewing Life Alchemist the day before he was to be stripped of his title." Hughes' gaze fell on me. "But you already knew that, didn't you, Krys- Clara?"

I rolled my eyes. "No need to call me that fake name. Armstrong knows how to keep his mouth shut, right?" I asked.

"Yes, sir." Armstrong nodded, and I could have sworn I saw more sparkles appear. I groaned at the sight.

"By the way, do either of you two know any good hand-to-hand teachers? I know I've got ranged alchemy down like the back of my- Ooooh! I've got a freckle on the back of my hand!" I stared at it for a couple seconds, then cleared my throat. "I was serious, by the way. What if I were ambushed with no time to transmute anything? Or murdered by a surprise attack? Or by Scar?"

"I could te-"

I cut Armstrong off. "No. I want nowhere near that overly-muscular shape of yours." I abruptly said. I doubted anyone could really teach me. Unless ... "Nevermind. I'll just read a few books on hand-to-hand combat."

The next morning in East City, the skies were a threatening gray. I figured it was the day that Scar attacked the pipsqueak.

"Case files." I ordered, skimming through the information I already knew by heart. Tucker had used his wife to make a talking chimera two years ago. He did poorly on the next assessment, and was deemed to lose his certification if his research was poor this year. In desperation, he created another talking chimera ... using his daughter and dog.

Staring at the corpses, I turned and ran to the nearest bathroom. My stomach violently discharged its contents through my mouth. My pale reflection in the mirror made me feel horrible. No wonder Ed and Al wanted to bring Nina back. She was too young to have this happen to her. The chimera ... The anime made it look almost cute. This was far from cute. It was too human to be called a dog, and too dog to be called a human. It was a perfect blend of the two lives. I almost wondered how he had done it. Before I could really wonder, I remembered that Tucker had done that to his daugher. The man deserved his death.

"You all right?" Hawkeye asked.

I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting to see the chimera like that. I had seen it before, but this ... this wasn't what I had seen." I met her brown eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I need to track down this killer."

* * *

"Actually, Gran let his guard down, allowing Scar to come in and kill him." I supplied.

Hughes cleared his throat. "You should increase your escort and lay low for a while. Nobody will blame you." Hughes gave Roy a pleading look. "Please. I'm asking you as a friend."

"You and Tucker are the only State Alchemists of note here, right?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Mustang gasped, a look of horror on his face. "Oh, no!"

I gave him a 'I knew it' smirk. "Let me guess. FullMetal's here? I know where he is. I'll go ge-"

"Forget it, Krystal." Hughes gave me a 'you do and I'll court-martial you' glare. "I'll have one of the MPs find them. You just tell him and stay here."

I gave him a glare back. "You're going to court-martial me, then. I'm going after the two~!" I tried to dash away, but Armstrong caught my jacket. I nearly choked on the collar.

"You're staying here, even if I have to restrain you." Armstrong threw his jacket aside, making me almost lose what little I had left in my stomach. "By using the restraining technique passed down the Armstrong line for generations!"

I went limp. Oh, someone save me from this horror!

"Actually, that's not a bad idea." Mustang smirked. "Sending her out to find the runt and his brother, that is. She already knows what's going to happen, right? So why doesn't she go out and warn them?"

Hughes nodded. "All right. But if you encounter Scar, call for backup immediately."

"You got it, boss-man!" I grinned and saluted. I ran and skidded around the corner. "Oh, and I'll try to help keep the Brothers alive! They're going to be attacked when I find them~!" I sang as I rounded the corner.

* * *

"You, boy. You're the FullMetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, correct?"

The clock struck four as Al grabbed his brother.

I stood between Scar and Ed. "Al, get your brother out of here. I'll hold this killer as long as I can." I clapped and formed a wall around Scar. "Get out of here! This man is a killer after State Alchemists!"

The two took no more time and ran off.

I backed away, not taking my eyes off the hastily formed cage. I felt the transmutation and turned. Chunks of matter fell from the wall, and I hissed curses.

"Clara!" Ed called.

"Got a plan!" I ran toward them and joined their escape route. "Let's confuse him! I've no doubt he knows I'm a State Alchemist, so why don't we split up and confuse him?"

As we ran, Ed complained. "Dammit! What the hell is this guy's problem? Making enemies isn't something I ... Well ... I never really avoided it! But there's no reason someone should be trying to kill me!" He glanced back.

I followed and let out a squeak. "Oh, shit. Take a right!" I ordered. I thought we were finally clear of him when the building to the right collapsed, effectively cutting off our escape route. "Man, the owner of the building is going to hate us ..." I groaned.

I tried to climb over the rubble, but when my foot slipped and sent me tumbling back down, I just stayed in that position. My back was hurting too much to allow me to move.

"Looks like we're gunna have to fight." Ed clapped and transmuted a nearby pipe into a sword.

I rolled over and stood. "All right, all right. At least I have plenty of material." I sighed, hating the fact I had to fight Scar. He'd bring down Wrath!

The Brothers charged, even when I warned them not to.

I stared at the empty suit of armor, the side torn apart. It looked ...different in real life. The shards of metal in the alley ... I'd have to be careful. "You bastard!" Ed charged.

"You're too slow!" Scar growled as he tried to take off Ed's automail arm.

I never understood why the pipsqueak took off his coat like that every time his arm was attacked. Maybe it got in the way?

"Brother!" Al cried.

I stared as Ed fell back, stunned by the destruction of his arm. I shook my head, trying to clear it. I sent out a steam flare, hoping the MPs would finally show up. "Scar. Tell me something: You said you'll give him a little time to pray to God. What did you once believe in? Letoism?" I asked. I needed time! "And Judgement? Don't make me laugh. What you're doing is far from judgement."

He turned toward me. "The Imitation Alchemist, aren't you? You'll be next." He reached toward Ed as a car screeched to a halt. A gunshot rang through the air.

"That's enough."

I groaned. "You idiot! Get out of here! Do you have a death wish, Mustang?!" I snarled.

Mustang handed his gun to Hawkeye as Scar looked at Mustang. "Mustang? So this is the Flame Alchemist." He flexed his hand. "Volunteering to receive judgement. This is truly an auspicious day!"

"So you know who I am and you still want to fight me? Wrong choice." Roy stopped and snapped, only creating a small puff of smoke as Hawkeye knocked his feet from him under him. As she fired, Mustang scowled. "Hey, Hawkeye! What the hell was that for?!"

"_Useless~!_" I sang. As Scar backed past me, I added my own alchemy, the ice needles that were once raindrops embedding themselves into the brick. As he came out, Armstrong tried to attack.

I took one look at the damage and suppressed a groan. This was going to be a nightmare to fix! Havoc seemed to have the same thought.

"Major, what do you think you're doing? We don't want to destroy the city!" Havoc snapped.

"What do you mean? Destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin!" He flexed his jacket off. "That is the law of the universe!"

"Did he have to strip?" Hawkeye sighed.

"You'd be surprised; he's clearly insane." Havoc replied.

"Non-alchemists fail to see that, but we don't. Don't we, Scar?" Armstrong asked.

Whispering broke out among the officers.

"Hawkeye, fire when you get a clear shot. Aim for the glasses, if you can." I ordered, suddenly glad that I was near the sharpshooter.

Armstrong and Scar fought, and Armstrong had the killer with his back to the wall. I flinched at the three shots. Scar glared at us with those almost glowing red eyes. "Well, there's a surprise." I mumbled. "Not." I stepped forward, toward Armstrong. I could use alchemy to cover him if I needed. Scar had to escape today.

"You might as well give up, Scar. We've got you surrounded." Mustang was ready to give the signal to shoot if he needed.

Scar responded by blowing a huge hole into the sewers, taking Armstrong and anyone unfortunate to get in the way with it.

Something struck my head as the ground beneath my feet gave and I lost consciousness.


	14. Messing with the Plot

I groaned as I came to. My head was pounding. I cleared the rubble using alchemy.

"Has anyone seen Clara?" Hughes asked.

I sat up with a few coughs. "Ow ..." I moaned. "Someone tell me that we caught him ..." I stood up, brushing the dust off my uniform.

"What are you doing down there, Clara?" Hughes grinned.

I shot him a tired glare. "Shu'up ... You get a headache and work." I clambered up the rubble, muttering curses. "Slave driver." I grunted as I pulled myself onto the street.

"Your uniform's filthy."

I slapped him across the face. "Shut up, hothead. I'd be more than happy to freeze you right now and send you tumbling down that lovely place without a way to escape. Then I'd laugh as your frozen corpse hits the ground and shatters into a million pieces." I gave him a cold glare as I walked past him. "I'm sure you'd love that, wouldn't you?"

He staggered back, a look of shock spreading across his face.

I just kept walking. "Next time, don't try to point out the obvious to someone who could easily best you in a fight."

Hughes laughed as he caught up with me. "You two are such fun to watch! What are you going to do next? Give him a kiss?"

I scowled. "Nuh-uh. You really think that I actually care about that womanizing bastard? He could rot in hell for all I care." I shrugged. "Are men always this dense and stupid?" I grumbled.

"More than likely, Krys." Hughes laughed. "You know, I heard Havoc's single."

I gave Hughes a glare. "The smoker? There's no way in hell I'd ever go out with him!"

"Looks like she just shot that down, Havoc!" Mustang's laughter reached my ears.

I whipped around, feeling a slight twinge of guilt when I saw the red mark on the man's face. Maybe I shouldn't have slapped him. "Hey, Hothead!" I called.

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" Mustang asked.

I grinned. "Nope! Just thought you'd like to know, next time you go to Central, you're going to hate me~!" I sang as I turned around again. Next time Mustang goes to Central, Hughes will know what's going on, probably thanks to the materials I keep slipping into the files he goes through. Little hints about the bloodshed in the past here, a note or two about the brothers there ... I wondered if the Homunculi suspected me of anything yet.

* * *

"What did you do this time?"

I gave Hughes a glare. "What do you mean, this time?" I asked.

Hughes held up a piece of paper. "This is the third time you've been ordered to talk to the Fuhrer."

I glanced at the paper without interest. "Maybe they've figured out my secret and are going to discharge me and let me loose on the streets. I'd love to become a killer, you know."

Hughes gave me a look of pure horror.

"Hothead would be my first target, you know. What woman could kill the man she desires?"

"So you admit that you looooove him?" Hughes asked, picking up the phone.

"Sure? Why not? It's not like I'm going to be around to see tomorrow." I grumbled as I left.

I entered the Fuhrer's office and nodded to the receptionist. "I'm here to see the Fuhrer." I didn't even glance over at the door that led into his office.

"Ah, yes. He's waiting for you. Go on in."

I opened the door with trembling hands. "You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked.

"You do realize your practical is coming up soon, right?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes, sir." I replied.

"And I've heard rumors going around that you and Colonel Mustang are in a relationship?"

I shook my head. "They're just rumors. I want nothing to do with that man." I tried to keep my voice steady. "And for all I know, he feels the same way, sir."

The Fuhrer chuckled. "If you ever decide to retire from the Military, Imitation, I'm sure you two would be good for each other."

I groaned. "Not you too! I'm tired of hearing that we'd be good for each other. I don't care about him. He'd never be able to settle down with me, Wrath."

Wrath's eye widened in surprise. "So you know who I am?" he asked.

I tensed to either run or fight. "Er ... yes. I know what you want to do with this country. I know each one of your so-called siblings. And I know who's pulling the strings." I suddenly became interested in the pocket watch I had been given with my certification. Would the Fuhrer take that away from me? "But I don't plan on revealing anything to anybody. If I did, I know that I'd be facing certain death." Unless I made a deal and sold my soul. Tch, like I had one to begin with. I sold them to my handbells loooong ago.

Wrath smiled coldly. "I hoped you'd say that. It would be such a waste to see you die. After all, you are a candidate for sacrifice."

"Oh, where I'm offered to the Truth as a payment for Father's godhood?" I asked excitedly. I was good at acting, sometimes. "Let me guess, the State Alchemist program was actually designed to weed out potential candidates for sacrifice? Gee, that's great! Tell me something I don't already know."

By now, I was walking around his office. "I already know how this will end. Unless I get my hands dirty, so to speak. You will want me on your side, if you want to win." I smirked. "Unless you act quickly, I'm not going to be on your side. I won't be on anyone's side, as a matter of fact." I stopped pacing and stared at Wrath. "I can change fate, for better or worse, because I have Truth on my side."

_Yes, you do, human. But you know what will happen when you've reached the end of the story. You will be taken back to your world._

I know. And I plan on making a difference here, not in my world. Here I actually have power to change fate's design. Here I can be who I want to be, within reason. "Well, Wrath? What will it be?" I asked. "Because I'd like to either meet 'Father' by tonight or move on to something more tasty. Like lunch." As if to emphasize my point, my stomach growled loudly.

Wrath's glare made me grin. Man, I had a lovely knack for pissing people off. "The reason I called you here was to inform you of a transfer. I suppose you knew that, didn't you?" he asked. Upon seeing my look of surprise, he smiled icily. "Obviously not. I hope you enjoy your new station in Dublith."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight: You knew we would be banged up like this, you knew we'd be heading here, and you never told us?!"

I grinned and nodded. "Yup! So, is your teacher really as nice as I remember?" I asked as I walked into the butcher shop the couple owned. What was it with tough characters and butchers?

"Depends on your definition of nice." Ed grumbled.

"I can't believe I've been in Dublith for two ... no, three weeks now and you never once told me about your teacher living here! Too bad I've got a train to Central to catch later today. I'd more than love to meet he-er?" I was suddenly aware of a looming shadow over the counter. "Uh ... hello?"

Either this guy knew how to work out or was a decendant from Armstrong's family. He was ginormous!

"I guess I picked the right day for not wearing my uniform!" I hissed to Ed. "Uh ... I was just escorting these two here. I'll be going now."

The burly man caught my shoulder, making me freeze where I was.

"You said you wanted to meet Izumi?"

"Y-yes ..." I barely managed to keep my voice from squeaking.

I swallowed as a woman came out from a nearby room with her husband. Man, Izumi looked badass in the anime and manga, but she looked less intimidating in real life.

I flinched as she threw Ed across the street. Alphonse was abruptly thrown to the ground. I backed away, hoping she wouldn't see me.

Of course my movement attracted her attention. "I hear that these two brought you here. Is there any particular reason why?"

I swallowed. "To be honest, ma'am, I was following them and making sure they didn't make any more trouble." I met her eyes, startled at the kindness in them. I remembered her as the bad-ass motherly type. "I had heard very little of their alchemy teacher, and I was hoping I would get to meet ... I guess it was you, right?"

"Your eyes tell me you know I'm their teacher." Izumi extended a hand. "I'm Izumi Curtis."

I didn't take it, choosing to bow. "Clara Graves, ma'am. I'm off-duty, so please don't attack me. I doubt I could even fend you off and escape!" I admitted hurriedly.

Izumi chuckled. "I know. Since you came here, you've passed by this place so many times. It's not hard to pick out a unique vehicle like yours."

I nodded slowly. "It took me ages to get it to where it's at now. Oh, how it took me so long to get it from a pile of junk to that beauty! The research I poured myself into, the hours of experimenting, the-"

"You used Alchemy to make that ugly thing." Ed came back. "The Colonel told me."

My plan deflated. Izumi was going to murder me.

Izumi gave me a hard look. "I've heard a lot about the first female State Alchemist. How she rarely interacts with the public. She's always up in her office doing something or another. You don't seem like the type of person who pushes people into doing things they don't want to."

I nodded slowly. "I don't want to interfere with anyone's life more than I already have." I turned to leave. "Ms. Curtis, forgive me. I have a train to catch."

With that, I left and ran to the station. The train hadn't even come by yet, and I still had plenty of time. I had almost lost everything doing something as reckless as that. My identity, revealed to a complete stranger like Izumi. Well, I still thought she was a great woman, like Riza. But I couldn't let myself get all warm and fuzzy. I would be going back to my world, after all. I couldn't afford to make relationships that would just vanish when I left. None of this would actually happen in a work that was already written.

But ... could I really be happy in America? Where I was so unhappy with my life? Here, I was someone important. Here, I finally felt like I belonged.

"Hughes' office, Hughes speaking."

I froze. When did I call the Lt. Col.?

"Hello?"

I took a breath and replied, "Hughes. It's me."

"Clara! What took you so long to call? I told you to call me when you got there, and you never did! I was about to call and see if you were okay and such like that!"

I smiled faintly. "Hughes, I'd like to ask you something. Do you still have those hints I kept slipping to you?"

Shuffling came from the other end. "Yup, got them right here."

I sighed in relief. "Good. I'll be there late tonight. I'm catching the last train to Central from Dublith today, and I want to be there to explain some things." And protect you at all costs. I can't let you die, Hughes. I don't think I could go through any of that right now. I closed my eyes, trying to remember when he died. Instead, I used my other self to check it up.

"Checking on your other half?" Hughes chuckled.

"Are you keeping an eye on him? I hope you're not neglecting your health, you idiot." I chuckled as the train came in. "Oh, my train's come in. I'll talk to you later tonight." I hung up the phone and boarded the train.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?" Hughes asked, his horrified eyes meeting my pained ones. "That many lives ... That would be a massive stone!"

I nodded slowly. "Yes, it will be." I started to take the notes I had made. "Mind helping me clean up? I could use some help, you know."

Hughes just nodded numbly. "When?" he asked.

"Spring. That's all I can say, Hughes. Sorry." I put the map back where it belonged after erasing the evidence with a small bit of alchemy. "If you could keep your mouth shut, then I can die knowing I finally averted fate and spared everyone a horrible experience.

"Are you saying that I was murdered?" he asked.

"By someone that's an expert of disguise." I finished, turning to the Lt. Col. "But I'm extremely confidant that I've averted your death now. But I'd like to make sure you get home all right, okay?"

Hughes just chuckled. "You're still like Roy. A little too soft."

I gave him a light shoulder punch. "I'm a woman. It's in my blood, or so I've been told. And would you stop comparing me to that jerk?" I asked. "It's getting really annoying now."

"Of course not! You still haven't realized your true feelings for him!" Hughes laughed.

"I have no 'true feelings' Hughes. I grew up without a mom, practically. I just listen to my brain, that's all." I sighed, opening the door and checking the hallway, just to be sure. "Okay, let's go." I started my way down the hall.

"That's not what your face is telling me, Krystal." Hughes fell in step beside me. "When does Roy transfer to Central?"

"Within a month or two. I know it's shortly after the event I stopped." I flinched. The kitten that I had adopted in the other world was being a little troublemaker and clawing at my arm. "Ow." I mumbled.

"You all right?" Hughes asked.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about." I sighed, walking down the steps of Central Command. The rest of the walk went on in silence. When we got to his house, I sighed. "See you later, Hughes."

Hughes chuckled and went inside.

I sighed and turned around. "Well, Truth?" I asked.

_There will still be someone gravely injured tonight. You've only spared someone death, but brought it on someone else._

"Does it really matter, Truth? As long as Hughes is safe, I-"

_Are you really that dense? It does matter._

"Why is a chick like you talking to herself?"

I froze. "Damn!" I hissed, whipping around. I was blocked in by two men, clearly intent on their prey: me. "I wouldn't attack me, if I were you." I warned.

"Aw, even better! Someone from the Military! Thatch, we've got a good one!"

"Shut it! We can't give our names away, you dolt!"

"But boss! She's a real looker, this one!"

I felt a knife at my throat. "And if she makes one wrong move, she's as good as dead."

Rough hands grabbed me, covering my mouth and pulling me farther from the street. Hughes was safe. That was all that mattered, right?

"And what are you two boys doing with my State Alchemist?"

I glanced at the newcomer. A familiar figure. Hughes ...

"S-State Alchemist?" the first guy stuttered.

"We were just going to show her how we treat women around here."

Hughes raised an arm. "I don't think she's happy with the way you're treating her right now."

I opened my mouth and bit down. Hard.

The guy screamed in pain as I crouched, clapping and slamming my hands on the ground. I trapped the first guy and saw a glint of silver out of the corner of my eye. The other guy fell to the ground, clutching his neck. I felt his free hand grasp my forearm, clutching it. I ripped my arm away from him and kicked it away. "Thanks, Hughes."

"I didn't peg you for the type to go wandering." Hughes glanced at the other guy, who was trembling so bad, he made an earthquake look still. "Well, at least we got one guy. You all right?"

I stood up and nodded. "Y-yeah." I mumbled.

"It'd probably be a good idea if you stayed with me and my family tonight. Hughes grinned and grabbed my hand. "I know you love Graceia's cooking!"

I attempted a weak smile. "Thanks, Hughes." I mumbled. "But I'd rather not. I'll just stay at the barracks tonight." I tried to keep myself from trembling. I had almost been abducted, among who knows what else. If Hughes saw how scared I really had been, I'd never hear the end of it, would I?

"You look pale, Clara. It's decided, I'm going to have to take you." With that, he pulled me to his house and had me sit down on the couch. "What's troubling you, Krystal?" He went to the phone to inform them of the two.

I resisted the urge to sigh. "Thanks, Hughes." I frowned at my hands. "It's just ... I've been thinking about what you said earlier, about trusting my 'true feelings'. I ... When this is all over ... I've got to go back. I-I have to, f-for the sake of e-every b-b-body else. Th-That's wh-wh-why I-I c-c-c-can't-t-t g-get c-c-clo-o-o-se t-to a-anyo-o-o-one!"

Hughes gave me a sympathetic look and reached into his pocket. "So that's why you've tried to keep your distance from anyone. But why didn't you stay away from me, if that's your real goal?" He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped at my cheeks. I hadn't realized that I had started to cry.

I sniffed, my breath catching many times. "Hu-u-ghe-esss!" I sobbed. I couldn't hold back any of my tears anymore. I had been so scared. And Hughes had always been therefore me, like my own father. He was strong, a firm person anyone could rely on. But there's also part of him that gives good advice and helps hold people up, too. I guess that's what fathers are supposed to be like. I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself. I needed to stop crying so I could explain to him why I had stayed so close to him all this time. I tried to take a deep breath, hiccuping and all. I held it in while the sobs continued to rack my body. When I felt calm enough, I let it out and took another one. This had always worked for me.

Hughes sat down beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. "It's okay." How did he know that I needed to hear those exact words?

Once I felt like I had calmed down, I gave him the reason I had gotten so close to him. "You remind me of my own father, Hughes. I wanted to stop your death because I knew the problems it gave everyone around you, especially Mustang. I know I've messed up the first turning point in the story, but ... I couldn't stop myself. Hughes, I can't let my efforts be in vain. How can I just stand back, just step down now that I've saved someone's life?" I shook my head, unable to even think of such a thing. "I've done many things I've come to regret, but I try to learn from them."

Hughes smiled. "That's the Krystal I know." He ruffled my hair, messing up my ponytail. I scowled at him and he laughed. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

I sighed, suddenly realizing how exhausted I was. "All right," I agreed.


End file.
